Clinton Street and Gore Street were not named after two famous Americans, but were likely named after Henry Clinton, Secretary for the Colonies (1852-1854) and Sir Francis Gore, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (1806-1817). Clinton Street was named in 1853, Gore Street was named in 1881.

The City of Toronto Street Naming Policy was adopted by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on August 1, 2, 3 and 4, 2000. (Clause 9 contained in Report No. 15 of the Works Committee) and amended at its meeting held on May 30,31 and June 1, 2001. (Clause 12 contained in Report No. 7 of the Works Committee)

• Application
• Naming and renaming of street and lanes
• Criteria for name selection
• Names to be avoided
• Street type designations
• Cost Recovery for Requests to Rename Streets Using a Corporate or Business Name
• Contact information

Application

1. Applications for naming or renaming public highways and private streets shall be made in writing to the City Surveyor. The application should include the proposed name, the specific street location and brief but complete background information on the proposed name. Proposed names can also be selected from a list of names maintained by the City Surveyor.

2. In the case of a name change, the application should also include a petition with name, address and signatures of the persons who reside on or own property that fronts on or is adjacent to the subject street.

3. The City Surveyor shall circulate proposed names to the affected Councillors and appropriate agencies, heritage groups, local architectural conservation and advisory committee or local associations for comment. Once the comments have been obtained, the suitability of the proposed names will be reported on to the affected Community Council for approval.

4. Should proposed names of new streets be acceptable to all agencies, interested parties and Councillors in whose ward the street or lane is located, the City Surveyor may authorize incorporation of the names on the draft plan of subdivision.

5. The City Surveyor shall report to the Community Council if the proposed street names on a draft plan of subdivision application do not have approval from all parties concerned or if requested to do so by the Councillors in whose ward the street is located.

Naming and renaming of street and lanes

1. The general policy is that the names of streets and lanes should not be changed.

2. The renaming of a specific street or lane should only be considered when duplication of the name occurs within the City of Toronto or the surrounding municipalities and when renaming would generally improve the City's administration of essential services and would be in the public's best interest. Duplication of the name occurs when there are two or more unconnected portions of a street with the same name.

3. Municipal Act statutory compliance must be carried out, including advertising the proposed name change and giving affected parties an opportunity to be heard by Council.

4. Applicants may be required to pay the costs incurred as a result of their request to name a street or lane, including notification in a newspaper of general circulation.

Criteria for name selection

1. Streets should generally be named after people, places, events and things related to the City and citizens of Toronto. Proposed names should meet one of the following criteria:

   1. to honour and commemorate noteworthy persons associated with the City of Toronto
   2. to commemorate local history, places, events or culture
   3. to strengthen neighbourhood identity
   4. to recognize native wildlife, flora, fauna or natural features related to the community and the City of Toronto
   5. to recognize communities which contribute to the ethno-racial diversity of Toronto
       

2. Consideration should be given to names of local area or historic significance.

3. Names of living persons should be used only in exceptional circumstances.

4. Only a person's last name should be used as a street name unless additional identification is necessary to prevent a duplication with an existing street name in Toronto and surrounding municipalities.

Names to be avoided

1. Street names being a duplicate of an existing street in the City of Toronto or in the municipalities surrounding Toronto shall be avoided.

2. Similar sounding names such as Beach Avenue and Peach Avenue, or Apple Hill Road and Apple Road should be avoided.

3. Cumbersome, corrupted or modified names, discriminatory or derogatory names, from the point of view of race, sex, colour, creed political affiliation or other social factors shall be avoided.

4. Names for public streets that could be construed as advertising a particular business shall be avoided.

5. The re-use of former street names should be discouraged because of the confusion this causes in property records management.

Street type designations

1. Street type designations, depending on roadway function, length and configuration exist to define the character of a street. The following designations should be consulted:

   1. Street, Avenue, Road, Boulevard - for major thoroughfares or streets of several blocks in length

   2. Drive, Trail, Way - for streets which are winding or curved

   3. Terrace, Gardens, Grove, Pathway, Heights - for minor or short streets

   4. Lane, Mews, Close - for narrow streets generally used for service

   5. Crescent - for streets which form a crescent

   6. Court, Place - for cul-de-sacs

   7. Circle - for streets that are circular

   8. Gate - for a short street that provides an entrance to a subdivision

   9. Square - for streets that form part of a square
       

2. Qualifying words may be used when a newly created street is in actuality an extension of an existing street which cannot be renumbered or for which no municipal numbers are available. North, South, East, West and Upper or Lower are appropriate qualifying words.

Cost Recovery for Requests to Rename Streets Using a Corporate or Business Name
(Recommendations from Clause 12 embodied in Report No. 7 of the Works Committee, as adopted by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on May 30, 31 and June 1, 2001.)

1. applicants who request to rename a street or lane after a business be required to pay full costs incidental thereto, including but not limited to the publishing of notices, sign fabrication and installation, registration of by-law and all staff costs associated with the preparation and circulation of related correspondence and the updating of City databases;

2. a non-refundable fee of $3,000 be submitted with each request to rename a street or lane after a business;

3. the applicant be required to compensate the residents and businesses affected by the street or lane name change proposal; and

4. the introduction of a by-law renaming a street or lane after a business be conditional upon the receipt of funds referred to in Recommendation No. 1.

Contact information
For further information contact Brian Hall at 416-338-5034

Applications for naming or renaming of streets and lanes are to be made in writing to:

W. Kowalenko, City Surveyor
Technical Services, Survey and Mapping
18 Dyas Road, 4th Floor
Toronto,ON M3B 1V5
Fax: 416-392-0081