City Staff Recommend New Naming Process
Toronto city staff have recommended that council approve a new Indigenous-led process to rename the Lower Don parklands, after eight years of uncertainty over the word “Wonscotonach.” In a progress update to the economic and community development committee, bureaucrats stated that despite research and engagement since 2018, there is no consensus on the accuracy, spelling, or interpretation of the term.
Background of the Naming Decision
In April 2018, Toronto city council voted unanimously to name the trails and green spaces around the Lower Don the “Wonscotonach Parklands.” The motion passed without debate, with then-Councillor Paula Fletcher calling it a “great initiative.” However, a 2018 city report noted that Wonscotonach was understood to be the Anishinaabe place name for the Don River, likely translating to “burning bright point,” possibly referencing nighttime salmon spearfishing. That report acknowledged uncertainty about the meaning.
Since then, further research has cast doubt on the translation. The latest report cites work by Alan Corbiere, an associate professor in York University’s history department, which revealed that considered translations and spellings may not be accurate. Alternative spellings include “Waasayishkodenayosh” and “Waussaeishkstaenaeyaush.”
Next Steps and Funding
The report recommends council approve another year of the Indigenous-led process, followed by a further report in mid-2027 with a chosen Anishinaabemowin name for the Lower Don parkland system and trail, along with an interpretive narrative for public use. Funding for continued Indigenous engagement, research, and related work will come from Parks and Recreation’s capital budget through its Indigenous place-keeping capital reserve.
The process includes a visit by the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who are leading the naming in accordance with recommended cultural protocols, to the parkland system this summer. The Toronto Sun has asked the City of Toronto about the Parks division’s place-keeping fund but has not yet received a response.
Although the fund is not mentioned in Parks and Recreation’s 2026 budget documents, an appendix to its 2025 capital budget suggests more than $1 million has been allocated to the division’s “reconciliation and Indigenous place-making program” for 2026. That document indicates at least $1 million will go toward the program annually until at least 2034.
Scope of the Renaming
The parklands include Don Valley Brick Works Park, Todmorden Mills Park, and Riverdale Park East and West. The 2018 report argued for a collective name because the parks are connected and contiguous, but these connections are not well known by most park users. Renaming any of the individual parks is not being considered; the new collective name is expected to appear on about two dozen signs.
Since 2018, Toronto has renamed several places using Indigenous words. Notably, under Mayor Olivia Chow, the city promoted “Ookwemin Minising” (formerly Villiers Island) and Biidaasige Park. Lower Coxwell Avenue was designated Emdaabiimok Avenue in mid-2024.
