St Clair and Dufferin is home to a vibrant Latin American, predominantly Mexican, community. The Mexican community has enriched the neighbourhood with a variety of restaurants and food stands, grocery and corner stores, boutiques, and nightlife. However, unlike many other ethnic communities in the city, the Latinos of St Clair have no cultural symbol or monument in their environment to act as a physical affirmation of their belonging in the community. The name “Veracruz” (one of the most populous states of Mexico) would be an acknowledgement, an affirmation, and a celebration of the Latino community on St Clair, directly in line with the Toronto City’s Commemorative Framework Guiding Principle 4: “Prioritize commemorations significant to Indigenous Peoples, Black communities, and equity-deserving groups”.

(See map of the area, with the laneway in question indicated in red).

The majority of laneways in Toronto are nameless. Here’s how naming a laneway improves a neighbourhood :

1. Safety and Security
   1. Naming a laneway helps police, fire and paramedic services find it in the event of an emergency.
2. Commemorating History
   1. Naming a laneway after a noteworthy person, place, event, or thing in the history of Toronto, Canada, or the world (something that is strongly encouraged under the City’s street naming policy) helps preserve history.
3. Placemaking
   1. Naming a laneway gives the lane an identity, and creates a sense of place, which also serves to invite more pedestrian traffic, making it safer.
4. Community Building
   1. The collaborative process of naming a laneway (and it takes a collaborative process), helps build community connections, good will, and a feeling of neighbourhood pride. Giving a name to laneways also helps local businesses.
5. Invites Further Laneway Improvements
   1. Naming a laneway (and the community connections that this creates) opens the door to further laneway improvements, such as beautification, community events (such as laneway movie screenings, potlucks and local farmers’ markets) or other investments.