Change Kitchener's name back to Berlin?

[panamaniac]

Not sure we're in the correct thread, but interesting to see the original American Block pictured above.

By the way the Waterloo Historical Society remains active and continues to publish an annual volume.    http://www.whs.ca/

[jgsz]

On my walk yesterday I noticed this old street name on the sidewalk.   It reminded me that it's never too late to reclaim Berlin as the proper name for this city.... especially since some ot the infrastructure is still in place.  

   

This picture was taken at Mansion and Locust.  I suspect there are other examples in the neighbourhood.

   

[panamaniac]

Art or heritage project? It can’t be original, can it?

[MidTowner]

Mount Hope neighbourhood has a few just like these. Someone once told me when they thought they were done, but I can't remember- recently, though, as part of some sort of a heritage project as you say.

There are a couple on Moore that read 'Charon Street,' at least one on Guelph that reads 'Grove Street.' Alas, I don't think there is one for 'Bierwagen Street.'

[clasher]

Looks like it was cut from the original and put back in the newer sidewalk from the lines around it.

[Chris]

Mount Hope neighbourhood has a few just like these. Someone once told me when they thought they were done, but I can't remember- recently, though, as part of some sort of a heritage project as you say.

There are a couple on Moore that read 'Charon Street,' at least one on Guelph that reads 'Grove Street.' Alas, I don't think there is one for 'Bierwagen Street.'

I'm going to start a petition to change Margaret Ave to Bierwagen Street.

Bierwagen Name Meaning
German: literally ‘beer wagon’, an occupational name for a drayman (a man who delivered beer to taverns and inns).

[jgsz]

Looks like it was cut from the original and put back in the newer sidewalk from the lines around it.

I think that's exactly what happened.

[neonjoe]

There was an example of a sidewalk name on Borden Ave N at Crescent St as well, also appears to be cut from an old sidewalk.

I like the idea of the names being imprinted in the sidewalk.

[jgsz]

There was an example of a sidewalk name on Borden Ave N at Crescent St as well, also appears to be cut from an old sidewalk.

I like the idea of the names being imprinted in the sidewalk.

Me too but it wouldn’t be useful in the winter.  And it wouldn’t help anyone driving a car.

[MidTowner]

[quote pid='69199' dateline='1558097545']
I'm going to start a petition to change Margaret Ave to Bierwagen Street.

Bierwagen Name Meaning
German: literally ‘beer wagon’, an occupational name for a drayman (a man who delivered beer to taverns and inns).

[/quote]

It was actually Briar Avenue that was called Bierwagen Avenue until the changes in 1951. There was no reason for the change: the other streets had duplicates in the other municipalities, but not Bierwagen.

[ijmorlan]

Me too but it wouldn’t be useful in the winter.

Nonsense! With the new enforcement policy, those sidewalks will be clean, clear, and dry as a bone all winter long!

[jgsz]

Changing Kitchener's name keeps smoldering decade after decade.  Now, there's a petition to change the name again.

https://www.kitchenertoday.com/local-new...me-2438150

[Archetype]

300 ppl voted for this dumbass name. Thats it. Its not special. It never was. Fuck Kitchener.

(Also I love that one of the finalists was Corona)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat...e31576065/

[tomh009]

A dumbass name, by today's standards, yes. But don't we have better things to do than start arguing about a name change? Would we really get a much bigger turnout (than 15%) for a new vote on a name?

As the mayor said, "I think what's more important than what the name was, and the reason it was chosen back then, is really what our city has become."

[ijmorlan]

A dumbass name, by today's standards, yes. But don't we have better things to do than start arguing about a name change? Would we really get a much bigger turnout (than 15%) for a new vote on a name?

As the mayor said, "I think what's more important than what the name was, and the reason it was chosen back then, is really what our city has become."

What I would say is that the actual name change was completely bogus, and done in an undemocratic way. My understanding is that “leave the name unchanged” wasn’t even on the referendum, and it was a multi-option referendum, which requires ranked balloting or some similar arrangement to be democratically valid. The low turnout doesn’t help.

Additionally, my impression is that the person after whom the city is named is not someone we would want to name a city after.

But that being said, it’s all history, and there are much more important things to do than rename it now. Especially right now, as opposed to sometime in the next few years.

Anyway, if we keep moving services to the Regional level, the city and its name will just naturally become less and less important over time.