A Toronto street just got a new name for the second time in 5 years

On Wednesday, the City of Toronto honoured National Indigenous History Month by celebrating the renaming of Lower Coxwell Avenue in The Beaches. 

Translated from Anishinaabemowin, the new street name Emdaabiimok (pronounced Em-DAH-bee-muck) Avenue means "where the road goes to the water." The street, which leads to Ashbridges Bay, was historically used by Indigenous people to find and reach the lake. 

1/2 Just ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day, today we celebrated the official renaming of Lower Coxwell to Emdaabiimok Avenue.

I was proud to work with local Indigenous leaders to ensure we better recognize & celebrate the rich Indigenous history in the east end & beyond. pic.twitter.com/FE5FSttP9T

— Paula Fletcher (@PaulaFletcherTO) June 19, 2024

The ceremony took place at Emdaabiimok Ave. and Lake Shore Boulevard East, and was attended by Mayor Olivia Chow, Toronto—Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher, Beaches—East York Councillor Brad Bradford, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Ogimaa-Kwe (Chief) Claire Sault, Elder Jimmy Dick, and students from a local school. 

The street was first named Lower Coxwell Avenue in 2019 to provide an address for a Green P parking lot off Coxwell Avenue. Its new name was recommended by the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation after extensive consultation. 

"The name points to the history of this land. It highlights Anishinaabe culture and tradition and is a reminder for anyone who travels on this road that Indigenous people lived on this land thousands of years before us," Chow said. 

It was an honour today to join Ogimaa-kwe Claire Sault of the @mcfirstnation and community members to unveil Toronto's newest street name.

Emdaabiimok, pronounced "Em-DAH-bee-muck," means "where the road goes to the water" — a fitting name for such a key route to the beach! pic.twitter.com/iS593sEKAd

— Mayor Olivia Chow (@MayorOliviaChow) June 19, 2024

Still, the mayor stressed that there is still more work "that we all need to do" to achieve justice and reconciliation.

The change comes just two years after Councillor Paula Fletcher proposed to rename the street in an attempt to honour Indigenous culture and history. The motion quickly attracted over 600 letters of support from local residents. 

"Thank you to the hundreds of residents who wrote the city in support of renaming Lower Coxwell to Emdaabiimok Avenue. Just ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day, it ensures we better recognize and celebrate the rich Indigenous history in the east end and across the city," said Fletcher.

"It also acknowledges the work we still must do to achieve meaningful reconciliation."