Blue Jays Way
Blue Jays Way is a north-south street in Toronto. In 1983 the southernmost portion of Peter Street, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was renamed Blue Jays Way.[1] Toronto had recently finished a domed stadium, then called The SkyDome, (currently called "The Roger's Center") which was to be the new home to Toronto's major league baseball team, the Blue Jays. Peter Street terminated at the SkyDome.
Hockey Player Wayne Gretzky was one of the owners of a sports bar at 41 Peter Street.[1][2] He lobbied to have the street numbering on Blue Jays Way changed so his restaurant would be at 99 Blue Jays Way, as the number on Gretzky's hockey jersey was number 99.
The request was initially turned down in November 1993, according to press reports.[3][4] Nevertheless, the renumbering was quietly approved in 1993.[5] A condition of the City's agreement to rename the street, and change the street numbers, was that the owners of the restaurant would maintain a historic plaque, explaining how the street was renamed, and honoring the city's first city planner, after whom Peter Street was named.
The justification for renaming the street was to honor the Blue Jays Baseball team for winning Baseball's World Series.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tracee Hamilton (1983-10-18). "From left field; Toronto's Seventh-Inning Songfest". The Washington Post. p. C.06. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72196871.html?dids=72196871:72196871&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+18%2C+1993&author=Tracee+Hamilton&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=FROM+LEFT+FIELD%3B+Toronto%27s+Seventh-Inning+Songfest&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2012-03-14. "Toronto city officials are considering a proposal to change the name of the street to Blue Jays Way. (The Jays' business address is already 1 Blue Jays Way.) Gretzky's bar also would like to have "99" as its street address."
- ↑ "New name sought". Kitchener - Waterloo Record. 1993-09-21. p. D.3. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/504297311.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+21%2C+1993&author=&pub=Waterloo+Region+Record&desc=New+name+sought&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2012-03-14. "Hockey star Wayne Gretzky wants his new downtown eatery to have a Blue Jays flavor. It seems 41 Blue Jays Way still isn't a snappy enough address for Gretzky's new sports bar. So he wants it changed to 99 Blue Jays Way, after his own hockey jersey number."
- ↑ Shav Glick (1993-11-08). "When This Shaq Attack Hits, No Fan's Wallet Will Be Safe". Los Angeles Times. p. 2. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60244185.html?dids=60244185:60244185&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+08%2C+1993&author=SHAV+GLICK&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=When+This+Shaq+Attack+Hits%2C+No+Fan%27s+Wallet+Will+Be+Safe&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2012-03-14. "The Great One's request to change the address of his new downtown restaurant from 41 Peter Street to 99 Blue Jays Way was rejected by the city services ..."
- ↑ "Toronto Shuts Out Gretskey". Milwaukee Journal. 1993-11-04. p. 82. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19931104&id=c6IaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wCwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5154,2923231. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ken McGuire (2005-11-08). "Installation of a Historical Plaque and a No. ‘99’ Sculpture Within the Public Right of Way Fronting 99 Blue Jays Way - “Wayne Gretsky’s” (Trinity Spadina - Ward 20)". City of Toronto. Archived from the original on 2013-08-20. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.toronto.ca%2Flegdocs%2F2005%2Fagendas%2Fcommittees%2Fte%2Fte051115%2Fit086.pdf&date=2013-08-20. Retrieved 2013-08-20. "In support of his application, the owner submitted a letter explaining that the historical plaque was donated to them to commemorate the original address of the building, 41 Peter Street. Of note, the street name was changed in 1993 to Blue Jays Way by the former City of Toronto Council to recognize the two World Series the Toronto Blue Jays had won. Due to the fact that Peter Street was named after Toronto’s first City Planner, the Historical Society asked for and received support to recognize its historical significance in the form of a plaque."
