Some Toronto residents push back against parkette being renamed after anti-gun violence advocate

Michael Smee · CBC

· Posted: May 31, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Some residents of a tiny enclave bordering Toronto's recently redeveloped Regent Park neighbourhood are calling connected the metropolis to revisit a assembly decision to rename a parkette after a well-known section anti-gun unit advocate.

Last week, councillors led by Chris Moise (Toronto Centre) voted to rename the tiny Sumach-Shuter Parkette aft Louis March, who died past July.

In a motion, Moise wrote that the park should beryllium named aft March because "Regent Park was 1 of the neighbourhoods wherever Louis did immoderate of his astir impactful work, and [it] would admit his heavy committedness to ending weapon unit and supporting the astir susceptible communities successful Toronto."

The parkette sits successful a country of tiny Trefann Court, adjacent to the recently revitalized Regent Park. Locals there agree March made a immense interaction connected young radical successful the country and crossed Toronto. Their argument, they emphasize, is with the process, not March's legacy.

"It was a surprise," said Bill Eadie, a 42-year Trefann Court resident. "What I deliberation radical are offended by is that determination was nary consultation."

CBC Toronto reviewed 28 emails city unit received prior to the vote, from radical who wanted to explicit their views astir the sanction change. Twenty-two were successful favour; six were against it.

"Louis was not the benignant of antheral who needed accolades oregon praise, helium genuinely loved Toronto and was
committed to making it a metropolis we could each consciousness harmless successful and beryllium arrogant to telephone home," wrote 1 woman. "Naming a City of Toronto parkland aft Louis March would guarantee that his life's enactment was not successful vain. It would warrant that his sanction volition unrecorded connected for aboriginal generations."

The tiny parkette runs eastbound from Sumach Avenue on the southbound broadside of Shuter Street. It has conscionable been upgraded, and is scheduled to re-open adjacent month.

Neighbours told CBC Toronto the parkette is a captious gathering spot for residents, and they should person been asked for their  input connected its future."It's truly our lone greenspace," 20-year nonmigratory Lynn Lawson said. "I didn't truly get to cognize radical until I started going to the park. Now I cognize everyone."

'Nobody knew'

Carol Silverstone, who's lived successful the neighbourhood for 64 years, found it upsetting that the parkette was being renamed.

"Nobody knew this was happening," she said.

Eadie and different residents who spoke with CBC Toronto accidental they're arrogant of their tiny community, an country of a fewer quadrate blocks that begins connected the southbound broadside of Shuter Street, eastbound of Parliament, straight crossed from the caller Regent Park.

In the 1960s, metropolis unit wanted to instrumentality implicit Trefann Court and physique nationalist lodging connected the land, including it arsenic portion of Regent Park nationalist lodging development. But residents organized against the move and won.

It was astir this time, metropolis records show, that Trefann Court was recognized arsenic a "redevelopment area", unsocial from Regent Park.

Eadie and different residents accidental they'd similar to spot the renaming statement re-opened astatine Toronto and East York Community Council.

Moise insists the nationalist had ample accidental to dependable their opinions earlier his question came up past week astatine council.

Moise insists everyone successful the metropolis — including those successful Trefann Court — had an accidental to remark connected the issue. He besides points to an online petition that garnered the names of 800 supporters crossed the metropolis successful a fewer months, including 80 radical helium described arsenic locals.

"The contented is closed," helium told CBC Toronto. "It went done council."

Moise said its irrelevant wherever March was from successful the city.

"Louis March founded the Zero Gun Violence Movement, believing that everyone deserved to unrecorded successful a safe, supportive and opportunity-rich situation careless of their postal code," his motion reads. "His abrupt passing connected July 20, 2024, was a profound nonaccomplishment for the city, but his imaginativeness continues to usher efforts towards bid and justice."

One of the locals weighing successful connected the contented is Walied Khogali Ali, co-chair of the Regent Park Residents Association, who knew March personally.

Khogali Ali said helium agrees with the residents' complaints.

"(March) was a existent champion for assemblage voices, and I deliberation this process unluckily did not see assemblage voices," Khogali Ali said.

Eadie says that if Moise had brought the connection to rename the parkland done the Toronto and East York Community Council, much Trefann Court residents would person had an accidental to dependable their concerns astir renaming Sumach-Shuter Parkette.

Although that's traditionally however nationalist spaces similar parks are named, Moise said that way is not mandatory.

He pointed to past year's renaming of Tiverton Parkette, successful the Dundas-Loigan area. That question went consecutive to council after hundreds signed a petition successful enactment of a connection to sanction it aft Caroline Huebner-Makarat, a pistillate killed by a stray slug portion walking successful Leslieville.