For nearly two centuries the Picton Gazette, as the County’s paper of record, has borne witness to many a street naming and renaming, even including towns— Picton was once Hallowell, and we were once the Hallowell Free Press. In 1836 the change of the name of the town meant the Gazette followed suit. We still toy with the idea of going back. Hallowell. So much more mellifluous.

Submissions are now being invited to create a reserve of potential street names within the County. Residents can participate in the street-naming process by submitting suggestions to a Commemorative Street Name Reserve List.

The Street Naming Task Team includes citizens with expertise on various cultural and technical topics. This team will review name ideas and conduct the research needed to validate cultural relevance, as outlined in the County’s Street Naming Policy. The reserve list will then be presented to the Built & Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee.

A firm policy will ensure that names are created without undue influence.

Long gone, in other words, are the clubby days of that saw the creation of McFarland Drive, never mind Ferguson Street.

With all due respect, and in full compliance with every pinpoint of procedures and minutiae, the Picton Gazette wishes to submit the following street name suggestion for the Town of Picton.

Anticipating the expansion planned over the next twenty years, and the increased cultural prominence to be assumed by Picton, Ontario, a prominence that promises to rival that of the (other) great cities of the east, Boston, Philadelphia and New York, and in respect of the historical significance of the Picton Gazette, and, finally, in celebration of the longstanding and dauntless efforts of its Editor, Jason Parks, we humbly submit Parks Avenue.

Barring this, we have a short list of names we consider eligible for the County’s various Waste Disposal sites.

For information on street naming criteria, and to access the online submission form, visit the County’s website. You can also visit your local library branch throughout the County to access the online form.

Residents are encouraged to fill out the online street naming submissions form before the deadline of Monday, October 30, 2023.

Paper versions of the submission form are available upon request at Shire Hall (332 Picton Main Street) or at all library branches across the County.

For more information, contact the Clerk’s Office at 613.476.2148 extension 1020 or email [email protected].