Toronto considering renaming major park and trail network

One of Toronto's most popular places to walk, run, and bike could soon have a completely different name.

The City of Toronto is moving ahead with an Indigenous-led process to give the Lower Don park and trail network a new name, with a final recommendation expected next year.

City Council has actually been exploring the idea since 2018, according to a recent item adopted by the City's Economic and Community Development Committee.

At one point, "Wonscotonach" was being considered as a possible new name for the area. According to Waterfront Toronto, that name is believed to be an anglicized version of an Anishinaabemowin name, "Waasayishkodenayosh," associated with the Don River.

However, after years of research and conversations with Indigenous leaders, Elders, Knowledge Keepers and language speakers, staff say there is "not consensus on the accuracy, spelling or interpretation" of the name.

Council is asking the Chief Planner and Executive Director of City Planning and the General Manager of Parks and Recreation to continue working with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation to determine an appropriate Anishinaabemowin name, either a historically accurate name that can be reclaimed or a new one gifted through the Indigenous naming process, which should follow Indigenous protocols and include a site visit this summer.

For many Toronto residents, the Lower Don Parkland is the place you zip through on a bike in the morning, walk your dog after work, or escape to on the weekend when the city starts feeling too loud and busy.

Its network of trails winds through the Don Valley, offering one of the easiest ways to experience nature without leaving the city. But there's much more to the area than that. The Don River and the surrounding valley have a deep Indigenous history stretching back thousands of years.

The process is about more than just changing signs. The City says it will also help shape the future of the Lower Don through park improvements, programming and Indigenous placekeeping initiatives.

The Economic and Community Development Committee referred the item to City Council, where it will be considered during the planned July 29-31 session. If approved, staff will continue the Indigenous-led process and return with a proposed name in 2027.