Orillia city councillor pushes to rename Centennial Drive in honour of Gordon Lightfoot
A city councillor in Orillia wants to see a downtown street renamed in honour of the late Gordon Lightfoot.
"Gordon Lightfoot is definitely a local icon. He's been extremely positive in the community. I reached out to the mayor and a few other members of the council, and they've been extremely happy with the idea. It's Orillia's waterfront, and you know, I think it would be really fitting to be honouring Mr. Lightfoot in his passing this year," said Jeff Czedwerzuk.
The city councillor is proposing to change Centennial Drive to Gordon Lightfoot Drive.
Murray Perigo strummed his guitar on the streets of downtown Orillia and said he supports the idea.
"I love it. We're all proud, and you wait to see the word out on that," he said.
The owner of Alley Katz Music, Mike Rothwell, said many people still like to purchase Gordon Lightfoot vinyl records.
"There are lots of things celebrating Gordon Lightfoot in Orillia from Tud Hope Park to the Orillia Opera House. I think naming a street after him is a great idea," he added.
The downtown has several displays that line the streets, recognizing Lightfoot and other musicians, and for some, that's enough.
"They should leave it. He's famous enough. He doesn't need a road named after him," said resident Brian Snow.
City staff will now write a report on the proposed name change, with council expected to vote in the coming months.
A decision could be made by the end of the year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'No one else has done this on the planet': Guilbeault insists emissions cap delay is due to novelty
Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault says the delay in announcing details of his government’s proposed oil and gas sector emissions cap is due to its uniqueness and to wanting to get it right.
Canada has a secretive history of adoption, and some want it brought to light
In a theatre in St. John's, N.L., a murmur spreads through the audience as people timidly raise their hands. They have been asked if they saw their own stories reflected in the film they just watched -- 'A Quiet Girl.'
Minnesota grocery store clerk dies after customer impales him with a golf club, police say
A Minneapolis store clerk died after a customer beat him and impaled him with a golf club, police said. The 66-year-old clerk was attacked Friday at the Oak Grove Grocery, a small neighborhood store in a residential area near downtown Minneapolis. A 44-year-old suspect is jailed on suspicion of murder.
6 dead, nearly 2 dozen injured after severe storms tear through central Tennessee
Severe storms that tore through central Tennessee killed six people Saturday and sent about two dozen to the hospital as homes and businesses were damaged in multiple cities.
A gigantic new ICBM will take U.S. nuclear missiles out of the Cold War-era but add 21st-century risks
The $96 billion Sentinel overhaul involves 450 silos across five states, their control centres, three nuclear missile bases and several other testing facilities. The project is so ambitious it has raised questions as to whether the Air Force can get it all done at once.
Ohtani cashes in as fans in Japan wait for him to deliver more goods and play in a World Series
Now that Shohei Ohtani has his money -- a record $700 million, 10-year contact with the Los Angeles Dodgers -- some fans in Japan are waiting for one more thing to complete the deal.
Elon Musk restores X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
Elon Musk has restored the X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pointing to a poll on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that came out in favour of the Infowars host who repeatedly called the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax.
Iran bans Mahsa Amini's family from traveling to accept the European Union's top human rights prize
Iranian authorities banned members of the late Mahsa Amini's family from traveling to accept the European Union's top human rights prize on her behalf, a civil rights monitor reported. Amini's death while in police custody in 2022 sparked nationwide protests that rocked the Islamic Republic.
B.C. Amber Alert cancelled, 2-month-old child found safe
Mounties in Surrey, B.C., say the two-month-old child who was the subject of an Amber Alert Saturday afternoon has been found safe.