To be ‘The Danny’ or to be The Danforth, that is the question.
Residents and businesses of Danforth Avenue between Donlands and Woodbine subway stations are expressing concern about a rebranding of their neighbourhood.
According to The Toronto Star, the area has had several other incarnations in the past, including Woodbine-Lumsden, Danforth East and Coxwell-Greenwood, though none have stuck.
This time, the Danforth-Mosaic Business Improvement Area has slapped new city street signs along the 2.9 kilometre stretch reading ‘The Danny.’
On a sleek new website, the local BIA says their aim is to create a “vibrant and well-maintained business area with diverse shopping and dining opportunities and services to attract the local community as well as visitors.”
“In the world of the mass produced, the bland and the me-too chains, we are all looking for things that are real and authentic,” a mission statement on thedanny.ca reads.
“We’re the Danny, and we’re the real thing.”
But some don’t agree.
No offence but #TheDanny is a foolish nickname for the danforth. Seriously�� #TOpoli
— Roxie ���� (@Canadian_mom73) May 30, 2017
As a Danforth West representative, and proud east ender, I cannot in good conscience endorse the name, The Danny. Please don't call it that
— Kaitlyn McGrath (@kaitlyncmcgrath) May 30, 2017
Others, meanwhile, are indifferent to the name change.
The Danforth sounds like a high-end apartment building or stuffy country club.
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) May 30, 2017
The Danny is your deadbeat uncle who forwards every e-mail.
For at least 30 years paramedics have referred to the intersection of Danforth Ave and Danforth Rd as "Danny and Danny" https://t.co/GPO7QNXn8r
— Bruce (@bruce_) May 30, 2017
This is far from the first time a Toronto-area neighbourhood has been the subject of a name change debate.
Most notably, the single vs. plural debate over The Beach neighbourhood made headlines for several years. The eastern district of Toronto was initially deemed ‘The Beaches’ by a local historian in 2001 but he backtracked in 2009, opting to support a push to call the area ‘The Beach.’
That same year, residents voted 58 per cent in favour of changing the area’s name back to ‘The Beach.'
The Danforth-Mosaic Business Improvement Area did not have someone available for comment to CTV News Toronto on Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s scrappy, it’s up-and-coming, it’s young and it wants to prove itself. That’s how I see the name… as something really fitting with who we are,” Billy Dertilis, the BIA chair and owner of Red Rocket Coffee shop, said.
“It’s gender neutral and it has a lot of legs.”
Business owners in the area told CTV News Toronto that they too are unsure about the change.
“Well, it might be okay for the newcomers but people here are so used to calling it The Danforth,” local tailor Lauro D’Angelo said.
“I don’t have anything polite to say about it,” Nolan Wilde of Stock in Trade butcher said.
