Over 50 years after the amalgamation of Fort William and Port Arthur, Thunder Bay continues to have two streets named Lincoln. This anomaly persisted despite attempts by city officials to rename one of them. The article explores the history behind the name duplication and the reasons why it remains unresolved.
Thunder Bay , Ontario - Over half a century after the amalgamation of Fort William and Port Arthur, a curious remnant of the past persists. Both cities once boasted a Lincoln Street, a vestige that continues to exist today within the City of Thunder Bay . One Lincoln Street lies in the north core, stretching between Algoma Street and the rear of the Gateway Casino on Cumberland Street. The other, situated on the south side, intersects with Vickers Street near Arthur Street.
Unlike numerous other streets in the newly formed municipality, which were renamed to eliminate duplicates, both Lincoln Streets remain unchanged.The reasons behind this enduring anomaly are shrouded in mystery. A review of city archives, however, sheds some light on past attempts to rectify the situation. Archivist Christina Wakefield unearthed documents revealing that city officials considered renaming one of the streets. Initially, Lamont Street was proposed for the southside Lincoln Street, which, at the time, had 22 addresses compared to the northside street's two. On the night of a scheduled bylaw to implement these street name changes in 1973, the southside Lincoln Street stood poised for transformation into Liverpool Street. However, a letter from a concerned member of the public prompted the city council to abandon the plan, leaving the street name as-is. Further attempts to rename the street in 1977 also proved unsuccessful. Documentation reveals no explanation for this decision. The southside Lincoln Street is named after John Lincoln Silles, a relative of Mary Silles, the owner of a tract of land developed in the early days of Fort William. The origin of the name for the northside Lincoln Street, which was situated in what was then Prince Arthur's Landing, remains unknown. While the possibility of emergency responders being dispatched to the wrong Lincoln Street during a call for assistance exists, it appears to be a remote concern. Newswatch was informed that emergency services are well-aware of the two streets sharing the same name and utilize unique address numbers for each. Dispatchers also provide cross-street information when sending first responders.Wakefield pointed out that Thunder Bay has numerous other street names that, while not identical, bear a striking resemblance to each other. Adding to the potential for confusion and frustration, particularly for visitors, are numerous disconnected sections of streets sharing the same name. Several major traffic routes consist of multiple streets with different names, further complicating navigation. Changing street names can be a costly and contentious endeavor. While the idea of unifying major routes such as Algoma St./Memorial Ave./May St. under a single name has been raised in the city, it has yet to gain traction. Councilor Kristen Oliver stated on Tuesday that she does not believe the council would consider it an urgent matter in the foreseeable future, citing numerous other pressing issues. However, she acknowledged the potential value in having council discuss the matter due to the inherent confusion it causes. Oliver recalled that when the issue was previously raised, the primary obstacle was the cost associated with both the consultation process and the implementation itself. She believes these significant expenses are the primary reason the issue has not been addressed.
THUNDER BAY ONTARIO STREET NAMES LINCOLN STREET AMALGAMATION CITY HISTORY EMERGENCY SERVICES PUBLIC CONSULTATION
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