'Highway of Heroes'
A Liberal government seems prepared to do a Good Thing:
A stretch of Ontario highway that's become a sombre repatriation route for soldiers killed in Afghanistan, drawing impromptu gatherings of mourners saluting that sacrifice, is set to be renamed in their honour, the province said yesterday.Here's a comment on the Globe story that well illustrates why Mortar Guy is fed up (me too):
The 170-kilometre section of Highway 401 between CFB Trenton where the flag-draped coffins of fallen soldiers arrive and the forensics centre in Toronto that receives them has been dubbed the Highway of Heroes.
More than 14,000 people have signed an online petition to officially rename the stretch of highway where people gather on overpasses to wave flags, display placards of support and salute the processions of hearses and limousines.
Ontario Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield said there were "no barriers to making this happen."
"I think when you consider the sacrifice that the soldiers and others have made, it's just a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on that sacrifice and to be able to acknowledge it," Ms. Cansfield said in a phone interview, adding that she became aware of the online petition on Wednesday.
"There's no reason not to do it. All we need to do now is get into the process of how quickly we can do it."
The government says it's considering several options in terms of dedicating a portion of the country's busiest highway, currently named the MacDonald-Cartier Freeway.
"We don't know whether we rename one little part of it or if we leave the name and have that part of it dedicated," said Jamie Rilett, Ms. Cansfield's spokesman. "We're kind of early in the process to know which direction it's going to go, but there'll definitely be something dedicating that part of the highway to the fallen soldiers."
The cost to dedicate the highway with signs will be minimal, he added.
The man behind the petition, 22-year-old James Forbes of London, Ont., said he's pleased he's attracted so much attention...
Beatriz Perez-Sanchez from Toronto, Canada writes: Given that Canada's soldiers are being sacrificed needlessly in an unwinnable war to suit the foreign policy objectives of Washington, it would be more fitting to rename it the Corridor of Cannon Fodder.Then there's this one:
The Emperor's Paparazzi from Canada writes: Why are these people considered heroes? Because they joined the armed forces for a steady job and excitement of playing with weapons?Hurl.
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 12:32 p.m.
7 Comments:
I have to disagree with you on this one. King's Highway #401 already has a perfectly good name -- the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, honouring two Fathers of Confederation.
I'd love to honour our Afstan warriors the traditional way, with a memorial on University Avenue. That's why it's got those huge centre boulevards.
My fear would be that in a hundred odd years no one will remember why they called it the "Highway of Heroes", and they'll want to rename it in favour of something more contemporary.
Chris, it's not an either/or proposal. We can rename that stretch of the highway and still do something on University Ave if we need to (although I'm not sure how interested this city would be in another war memorial, given the prevailing political environment).
Personally, I'm for any measure that helps reconnect the average Canadian with the Canadian Forces, even if it's something as simple as renaming a road.
I understand that, Damian. My concern is that the highway already has a name, and the two gents it's named after are already quite worthy. Aside from being Fathers of Confederation, Macdonald was our first PM, and Cartier was his Minister of Militia and Defence.
Re-gifting already-designated landmarks with new names has a bit of Year Zero mentality to it -- who cares about the previous guys, they're long dead and no-one remembers them. What happens to the Highway of Heroes in forty years when nobody remembers its commemoration for Afstan? Rename it again after a popular dead politician?
Might as well scrape the inscriptions off the South African War memorial and re-gift it as the Afstan War Memorial. None of the Boer War vets are alive, and the important thing is reconnecting the public with the CF, right?
Sorry boss, but the plan reeks. Our war dead and the fathers of our country deserve better than temporary, hand-me-down memorialising.
I understand that, Damian. My concern is that the highway already has a name, and the two gents it's named after are already quite worthy. Aside from being Fathers of Confederation, Macdonald was our first PM, and Cartier was his Minister of Militia and Defence.
Nobody's trying to take that away, Chris: it's just the section between Trenton and T.O. that's going to be renamed, not the entire highway.
Nobody's trying to take that away, Chris: it's just the section between Trenton and T.O. that's going to be renamed, not the entire highway.
Understood. But I don't like it any more than I would like them to rip down one of the Boer War statues and replace it with a new bronze guy in today's kit.
Memorials are a great idea -- but let's not be cheap about it and give away someone else's.
I really like the sentiment, but "Highway of Heroes" sounds really cliche to me. Can't we come up with a less generic name?
I'm not in favour of the hiway renaming either. I would like a better memorial to our troops than a bunch of pot-holes.
I'm old fashioned, A big chunk of polished granite with a green space near the other war memorial in Ottawa would be good. Some place we can actually go to on November 11 to remember them on.
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