Ontario residents have launched an application for judicial review of the local Council’s refusal to change an offensive street name.
The application alleges that by following the results of an unfair and biased voting process conducted by residents on the street itself, Puslinch Township failed to exercise its authority under the Municipal Act, improperly delegated its responsibility to render a decision, and unlawfully fettered its own discretion.
The private street, dubbed “Swastika Trail,” has attracted public controversy since last fall, when residents raised concerns about the offensive meaning of the name and approached B’nai Brith Canada to assist them in having it changed. Puslinch Township then asked the Bayview Cottagers Association (BCA), which includes residents of the private road and surrounding roads, to put the issue to a vote.