" $ 5 6 " - * 5 4 r / & 8 4 PETITION TO FREE RUSSELL TOWNSHIP OF NAMESAKE SLAVERY LINK
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
During a later phone interview, Mayor Leroux said that an outright name change for the municipality could prove expensive in terms of all the legal costs for the muni- cipality, many local businesses, and every resident. Those costs could range from the legal expenses of the municipality to have the change registered with every provincial and federal department for mapping and other document changes, to the postal address, driver’s licence, birth certificates, passport, provincial health cards, bank account records, and all the other personal identification requirements for individual residents. “And what happens to all the local busi- nesses and (service) organizations which, by default, are named after this town?” said Mayor Leroux. “There are all sorts of (legal and financial) implications.” Another solution Mayor Leroux also noted having Peter Russell end up as the municipality’s name- sake was a bureaucratic mistake. The actual name of the township was supposed to be &MNTMFZ XIPXBTBQPMJUJDBMSJWBMPG3VTTFMM at the time. “The (place) names were switched by accident,” said Mayor Leroux, adding that the township itself is not the sole municipal entity that would or might have to make a name change. The Village of Russell and the county of Russell are also both named after Peter Russell. The mayor has an alternative solution
to the situation. He proposes creation of a community-based committee to collect and review submissions from township residents about someone who they think is worthy to be the municipality’s new namesake. The one condition is that the person proposed must have Russell as either a first and last name. “It would be a very community-engaged process,” Mayor Leroux said. “I don’t want to change our name, I want it to highlight our history, and to demonstrate to generations to come what this municipality did to show its true values.” Public views Most of the response through social media to the mayor’s proposal is favourable. Some critics, though, declared that a name change is not necessary and the township should focus on other issues. There is also now another online petition advocating that the municipality leave the name situation as it is and focus on other concerns. Vanessa Leman, a former Russell resident launched the original petition calling for the name change out of concern about how the township’s namesake could tarnish its image as a community. She has noted the mayor’s suggestion about finding a new namesake for the township as an alternative. “I think it would be unnecessary for me to speak on the subject,” Leman stated in an email to the Reflet-News .
In the wake of a recent weekend peace- ful march in Russell Township to support the Black Lives Matter movement, there is another lobby effort in place to free the municipality from its namesake and his link to slavery. Russell Township is named after Peter Russell, a former provincial administrator during the late 1700s in the early days of the newly created Province of Ontario. Russell owned slaves and during his time in govern- ment fought against efforts to outlaw slavery in Ontario. That historic link, along with an online petition calling on the municipality to change its name and reject its connection with Peter Russell, has some members of council thinking that the township needs a new namesake. “In the past few weeks, events around the world have highlighted the issues of racism and discrimination,” stated Mayor Pierre Leroux, on his municipal Facebook page. “It has brought to the forefront, the need for conversations, understanding and reflection now more than ever. “Peter Russell of 200 years ago by no means embodies the Russell of today, or even the Russell of the past. However, we cannot deny the current origin of the name.” Mayor Leroux, with support from Council- lor Mike Tarnowski, planned to introduce a motion at the June 15 council teleconference
Russell Township was named after Peter Russell, an Ontario politician who lived two centuries ago, and was a slave owner and during his time interfered with efforts to outlaw slavery in the province. An online petition is gathering names to support a request to township council to change the name of the municipality as a sign of support for anti-racism movements around the world. Mayor Pierre Leroux and Councillor Mike Tarnowski have a plan to find a new namesake for the township and rededicate Russell Township in that person’s honour and memory. —historic photo session. The motion stated that the township and its residents do not want to be associa- ted with Peter Russell, and would find a new namesake to rededicate the municipality’s name.
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