MONTREAL—In the 70s and 80s, Gary Carter was one of the biggest stars in baseball. To honour a career that took off in Montreal, former Mayor Gerald Tremblay pledged to name a ballpark and short stretch of Faillon St. after the slugger died last February.
The street, near Jarry Park, had once been the main avenue to go see the Expos play. At the time, it sounded like a great idea.
“Gary Carter is a very important player for us and we are proud to say he played for us in Jarry Park and in this borough,” said borough Mayor Anie Samson.
Not everyone is so proud, as 194 people living on Faillon St. sent a petition to city hall, panning the idea because the name change is too expensive and inconvenient. Residents fear the hassle in changing all letters and government issued ID.
Others had different motives for blocking the name change.
“Nobody knows who Gary Carter is! He’s an American, he isn’t even a Quebecer,” said one woman.
This is far from Montreal’s first naming fight. Recently, some Montrealers complained about renaming the Mount Royal gazebo for author Mordecai Richler. There was also fury over a proposal to rename Park Ave. for Robert Bourassa
However, Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum isn’t backing down, maintaining that that renaming the street is an excellent idea to honour where Carter’s career began.
