Another Muskoka road is up for a name change with the goal of strengthening relations between the area’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents.
On Wednesday, the District of Muskoka’s Finance and Corporate Services Committee will consider approving a project to rename Twelve Mile Bay Road, which extends from Hwy 400 through Moose Deer Point First Nation.
The name change falls under the prerogative of the Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table (MAILT), which was formed in 2019 and includes representation from several municipal governments and First Nations organizations.
Part of their mandate was to rename some Muskoka Roads with a focus on Truth and Reconciliation, such as Muskoka Road 38, which was renamed Kanien’kehá:ka Iohatátie in 2023.
During MAILT discussions Indigenous members suggested there was value in changing the names of roads that connect Indigenous Nations to non-Indigenous communities. They suggested Twelve Mile Bay Road, which runs from Hwy 400 through Moose Deer Point First Nation, would benefit from an Indigenous language and community-chosen name. Indigenous members also noted that the settler population has attachments to road and place names and asked staff to proceed slowly and carefully, with a focus on education.
If approved by Council approval, a working group will be convened in the spring of 2025 with a target date of renaming Twelve Mile Bay Road in 2026.
The estimated cost is $14,500.
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I fully support the comment from Mary Templeton. I have asked several Whata residents including Chief Franks to help me with the #38 rename and all have been unable to assist me. I am fully supportive of this initiative but please select a name that all can refer to. The roads within Whata itself got renamed twice and signage now reads Whata Road 1, 2, 3…etc.
Wonderful idea changing some of the road names to reflect the history of our Indigenous people. In respect to their heritage & language could they choose names easier to pronounce & spell. I grew up in Bala and still spend hours driving through the Gibson Reserve; we welcomed the new name – Wahta. As much as I try I cannot pronounce or attempt to spell the new name of Highway 38. What’s the point – I’ll just keep calling it ‘old highway 38’ that goes through Wahta to Bala. Thank you all.
Let’s just use numbers- then no one is offended.