STAFF REPORT ACTION REQUIRED

Assigning the Ceremonial Name "Pramukh Maharaj Way" to Claireville Drive

Date: October 26, 2016

To: Etobicoke York Community Council

From: General Manager, Economic Development and Culture

Wards: 1

Reference

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SUMMARY

The purpose of this report is to recommend that the ceremonial name of "Pramukh Swami Maharaj Way" be assigned to Claireville Drive in Ward 1.

A ceremonial street dedication does not change the official street name or address information. It does result in the installation of special signage along the selected street.

Transportation Services was consulted during the preparation of this report.

Assigning the Ceremonial Name "Pramukh Swami Maharaj Way" to Claireville Drive 1

RECOMMENDATIONS

The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, recommends that:

1. Etobicoke and York Community Council assign the ceremonial name "Pramukh Swami Maharaj Way" to Claireville Drive.

2. Etobicoke and York Community Council direct Transportation Services to erect signage marking "Pramukh Swami Maharaj Way" along Claireville Drive.

Financial Impact

The estimated cost of erecting signage is $500.00 and will be covered by the 2016 Approved Operating Budget for Transportation Services.

The Deputy City Manager & Chief Financial Officer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.

DECISION HISTORY

On July 7, 2015, City Council adopted a set of updated policies for naming City streets and properties. The City of Street Naming Policy provides guidance on the ceremonial naming of City streets. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2015.EX7.8

ISSUE BACKGROUND

Deputy Mayor Crisanti has submitted a Street Naming Application requesting that the ceremonial name "Pramukh Swami Maharaj" be assigned to Claireville Drive in Ward 1. A letter in support of this application was received from the BAPS Shri Mandir, the Toronto temple with which His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj was associated. Consent for the naming has been received from a representative of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

COMMENTS

Ceremonial naming refers to assigning a ceremonial name to a City street in honour of an individual, event or an organization that has made a significant and exceptional positive contribution to the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario or Canada. A ceremonial name is a secondary name and does not replace the official name.

Assigning the Ceremonial Name "Pramukh Swami Maharaj Way" to Claireville Drive 2

Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921-2016) was the spiritual of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu sect, which claims to have more than a million devotees worldwide. An advocate of religious pluralism, he led the sect for 45 years, expanding it in and abroad. He inspired the establishment of BAPS in Canada in 1973; its humanitarian wing, BAPS Charities, is known for providing service to the community in Ward 1 and across the city.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was responsible for building 1,000 temples in India and 125 in other countries. On his twelfth visit to Canada in 2007, he opened the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto as a place of Hindu worship for Indo-Canadians and a symbol of their new home in Canada. This significant event was attended by the Prime Minister of Canada, the Premier of Ontario and the Mayor of Toronto.

Because the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is located at 61 Claireville Drive, this street is an appropriate venue to be used for this commemorative naming.

As this Street Naming Application and related documentation complies with the City of Toronto Street Naming Policy, it is recommended that the ceremonial name "Pramukh Swami Maharaj Way" be assigned to Claireville Drive.

The Acting General Manager, Transportation Services, has been consulted in the preparation of this report.

CONTACT

Larry Ostola Director, Museums and Heritage Services 416-392-9135; [email protected]

SIGNATURE

______Mike Williams, General Manager Economic Development and Culture

Assigning the Ceremonial Name "Pramukh Swami Maharaj Way" to Claireville Drive 3