Photo by Aimee O'Connor
Street names closer to being altered
The bylaw required to change the names of two streets in the Whistle Bend subdivision received first and second readings at city council’s meeting Monday.
The bylaw required to change the names of two streets in the Whistle Bend subdivision received first and second readings at city council’s meeting Monday.
Council decided to change the names out of concern the name Gypsy Queen Lane and Peep Street are inappropriate.
The bylaw replaces Gypsy Queen Lane with Scotia Lane and Peep Street with Omega Street.
All streets and lanes in Whistle Bend are named after ships and boats that were active in the Yukon, B.C. and Alaska.
The Scotia was a steam-powered sternwheeler that took passengers from Atlin, B.C. to Bennett Lake from 1898 to 1918.
The Omega was a steamship that operated on Bennett Lake and was used during the construction of the White Pass railway.
The administrative report prepared for council indicates the term Gypsy may be an inappropriate term for the Roma people.
The report says the term Peep is often associated with terms such as peep show or peeping Tom.
Third and final reading of the required bylaw is scheduled for Jan. 31.
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Comments (33)
Up 0 Down 0
Rob MacKay on Jan 28, 2022 at 10:50 am
So is the official language for the Mayor and Council of Whitehorse now Ebonics or Slang? There will always be a play on words with friends, comedians etc. There will always be groups of people with different life styles that will take a word/words or name and use them with a different meaning to satisfy their own needs for communication.
We expect Government to use the original definitions of words in their language and definitions/meanings. Peep and Gypsy Queen are not offensive. If you yourself as a Councilor always tag another word or meaning to a basic stand alone written or vocalized word like peep, that has been used for years and years, that is your problem. Just go, give up your seat to someone that uses real English meanings, etc., when doing their job.
Up 16 Down 0
Who Cares on Jan 26, 2022 at 10:50 am
Who cares what they call it, Just plow them!
Up 17 Down 0
unReal on Jan 26, 2022 at 8:49 am
Next time I walk by a bird's nest and hear a 'peep', I will chastise it for being too inappropriate!
I was once at a meeting suggesting a mission statement and I tried to use the words 'arouse interest' and two holy rollers said that was too sexual!
Up 14 Down 2
Reimar on Jan 24, 2022 at 1:13 pm
Don't make it too complicated!
Uber driver: Where do you live exactly?
Me: That Street.
Uber driver: which street?
Me: That Street near This Street.
Uber driver: Wait, what - which street? Where? Is there any other street near you?
Me: Yes, sure - it's near The Other Street!
*** Uber driver hung up ***
Me: That was rude...
BTW: Real street names in Porters Lake, NS!!!
Up 3 Down 38
Patti Eyre on Jan 24, 2022 at 11:24 am
Hey look if some folks feel these names are inappropriate and do not reflect the values of present day, then let's change them to something we can all agree on!
Up 13 Down 19
noghama on Jan 23, 2022 at 10:07 am
LOL! Gotta love all these comments about some people being too sensitive, meanwhile you all are getting seriously bent out of shape over street names!
Up 11 Down 3
Salt on Jan 22, 2022 at 11:19 pm
Groucho, I believe the original article stated that it was introduced to council by Michelle Friesen.
Up 32 Down 4
Groucho d'North on Jan 22, 2022 at 9:31 am
Have you ever noticed that these criticizims of what is appropriate are never attributed to an individual? So how can an annonymous opinion become the rally cry for changes? If these matters are so important stand up, come forward and state your case to the rest of the community. Hiding in the shadows and pushing a personal opinion on the rest of us will only create friction. Or perhaps the 'woke' among us don't want to be identified.
Up 42 Down 2
Jim on Jan 21, 2022 at 10:07 pm
Could it be the same people who were offended by sourdough were the ones with all the free time to be offended by a boat name of Peep? I’m guessing the game of corn hole will never be popular at Rendezvous.
Up 43 Down 2
Nathan Living on Jan 21, 2022 at 7:34 pm
I am so happy council wants to protect us from anything which is inappropriate.
Please add overspending, lack of services and overpaid city workers to your inappropriate file.
Up 7 Down 8
bonanzajoe on Jan 21, 2022 at 4:59 pm
Arthur Black. Is that in Silver's neighborhood?
Up 30 Down 0
Anie on Jan 21, 2022 at 3:01 pm
Max Mack - Read the article "All streets and lanes in Whistle Bend are named after ships and boats that were active in the Yukon, B.C. and Alaska."
Up 32 Down 10
Mr Facts on Jan 21, 2022 at 11:18 am
A lost opportunity to rename them Pfizer Way and Moderna Boulevard, lol.
Up 10 Down 66
Sarah Davison on Jan 21, 2022 at 8:38 am
Of course they are inappropriate. How did those streets end up with those names in the first place?
Up 53 Down 4
Apex Parasite on Jan 21, 2022 at 6:45 am
We've obviously arrived at peak woke...
Up 59 Down 5
Max Mack on Jan 21, 2022 at 4:53 am
The Star article conveniently omits that both Peep and Gypsy Queen were, in fact, names of ships in the Yukon.
https://www.explorenorth.com/library/ships/sternwheelers.html
Up 53 Down 4
Salt on Jan 20, 2022 at 9:10 pm
Early reaping for electing woke councillors. I have no doubt it will get worse from here.
Up 54 Down 4
Arthur Black on Jan 20, 2022 at 9:06 pm
Do they still have "Ragged Ass Road" in YK ?
Up 58 Down 5
Groucho d'North on Jan 20, 2022 at 8:43 pm
Lord, please save us from our saviours.
Up 43 Down 14
bonanzajoe on Jan 20, 2022 at 8:25 pm
Karl: With the left wing ideology in Yukon today, Joseph Stalin Way, Karl Marx Lane, and Vladimir Lenin Street would be more appropriate.
Up 51 Down 7
No way jose on Jan 20, 2022 at 7:45 pm
How many Roma people live in Yukon? Lol - that's the first thing that come to people's mind when they hear peep. The people in council must be some clowns.
Up 43 Down 2
Chris on Jan 20, 2022 at 6:33 pm
If things get any more politically correct, we will all be treading water in a pot of unflavored plain porridge, and no I don't especially like porridge, thanks very much for inquiring.
If you want to know what people actually value in a road sign, just do a web search, asking, "What are the most stolen street signs in the world?" Funny, not a single one sounds politically correct. I guess no one actually wants those.
Up 51 Down 2
Guncache on Jan 20, 2022 at 6:15 pm
I think the new names are inappropriate and I'm offended. Ha ha ha ha
Up 51 Down 4
Charlie's Aunt on Jan 20, 2022 at 5:34 pm
What next? Would be nice to know whether complaints were received or whether this administrative report was conjured up by someone justifying their job. Amazing how we have lived with names for generations without offense being taken, but now every word has to be examined. Removing those names is removing part of our history, but now it's a given that someone would complain and demand names of ships changed. This council are beginning to look like buffoons when they agree to this stupidity. That report should have been brushed off the desk into file 13.
Up 44 Down 8
Josey Wales on Jan 20, 2022 at 5:07 pm
Gee...the virtue is oozing outta that hall of entitlement eh?
Clearly far too much time on their hands, bored outta their tree that team of liberal talking heads we call council.
Funny...no mention of “Spook Creek Station”
Need new names? Fully inclusive, Beheading street, Allah drive, White Rage way, Reparation avenue, Whitey stole it...
...OK I will stop now, clearly too much time on my hands currently!
Getting more like Portland each day in this engineered sty.
Really tired of the PC Crusaders and their minions in government.
Anyone else tired of these PC fools?
Up 47 Down 3
Jim Dandee on Jan 20, 2022 at 4:50 pm
Just when you thought you had seen it all. Going from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Up 21 Down 4
martin on Jan 20, 2022 at 4:32 pm
@Karl to be real woke, probably would be better to change to themx or theyx
Up 116 Down 5
rod on Jan 20, 2022 at 3:44 pm
For the love god lol. tTax payers money hard at work! What kinda people even phone and complain about a street name? What an embarrassing time to be alive!
Up 91 Down 3
Chris on Jan 20, 2022 at 3:13 pm
Wow - must have nothing to do at the City these days.
Up 92 Down 4
What’s next? on Jan 20, 2022 at 3:11 pm
Because there is nothing better to complain about.
Personally, I’d love to live on these streets and welcome the conversation starters!
Where were the complainers during the planning stages?
Up 66 Down 8
Matthew on Jan 20, 2022 at 2:59 pm
Hahaha oh my, if you were "woke" to begin with Mayor Cabbot, you wouldn't have passed these names to begin with (yea, I know they were named before her election, she was on council before hand) here we are pleasing a minor few, but happy to annex the unvaxed, right...
Up 106 Down 9
Karl on Jan 20, 2022 at 2:40 pm
What about just renaming them to Social Justice Way, Liberal Lane and Politically Correct Street (Them/They) ?
Up 119 Down 8
Jim on Jan 20, 2022 at 2:04 pm
Holy F$@*k!!!! It never ends. Prime example of how soft society is and how sensitive the world has become. I am so Sick of it. What’s next??
Here’s a valid question. How long until the “Indian River” is renamed.