City council could consider changing the names of Barrie's GO stations.
City staff have been directed to contact Metrolinx, the Crown agency that operates the transit system, to find out what is involved financially and logistically with changing the names of Barrie’s GO stations, particularly the current Allandale Waterfront station which officially opened in 2012.
Coun. Mike McCann spearheaded the idea, which only asks staff to look into what it would take to officially make a name change.
He told BarrieToday he wants something more in line with the city’s tourism initiative.
“I think promoting the beautiful lake and many activities we have ... is what we need to be looking at with this opportunity,” said McCann. “Naming it Barrie’s Waterfront station would let everyone know exactly what we have up here.
"I want to bring life to Barrie’s waterfront and I feel this is a great way to do that,” said McCann.
McCann said he wants to preserve the history of the old Allandale train station and he feels the GO station located next to it isn’t reflective of the historic building that has been sitting vacant for years.
Mayor Jeff Lehman had an issue with even looking into moving forward with the item as he remembers how intense discussions got when the naming of the station came up seven years ago.
Lehman joked it would be hard to avoid the train metaphors, but that it was an issue he felt strongly about.
“This is one I’d like to stop before it leaves the station,” said Lehman.
“The naming of the stations was, in the case of the Allandale Waterfront station, one which was very hotly debated in the community," said Lehman. "We received hundreds and hundreds of comments and input and actually had to get clearance from Metrolinx to have a station named as long as Allandale Waterfront.”
While he understands McCann’s motivation to support tourism in Barrie, he feels the name already promotes the city perfectly.
“Every time I take the train from Union Station I am delighted to hear the term the ‘Barrie Line’ being called out and being displayed on monitors,” said Lehman. “It is very rare. There is the Kitchener Line, Georgetown, Richmond Hill, but there are very few communities that have a whole train line named after them.”
The item was approved and staff will at the very least look into what is involved in a name change.
But Coun. Doug Shipley said he didn’t want too much of a discussion Monday night, saying that debate will come if a name change is officially contemplated.
“I support councillor McCann here, but I did tell him earlier that I felt he was really sticking his neck out on this one as it is going to be a heated, interesting, full blown debate,” said Shipley.
“One if the first things I was involved with back in 2010 when I was elected was the naming issue and I can remember that night very well," said Shipley. "I’m sure when this item comes back it will be a very interesting debate and I will guarantee you, as I told Councillor McCann, the stands will be full of residents.”
The GO Station naming issue is likely to come back to council before the summer break.
