Rename Highway 400 for Gordon Lightfoot
Petitioners ask the House of Commons to support renaming Highway 400 "the Gordon Lightfoot Memorial Highway" and to offer to jointly fund with Ontario the required new signage.
Why we would sign this petition
- It gives a formal, visible honour to a widely known Canadian songwriter and links the highway to places associated with his life.
- Petitioners argue the name would boost public appreciation of Canadian culture, history and environment and inspire others in their professions.
- Signers report media support and a 20,000-signature petition; federal help for signage would share costs and signal national recognition.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The federal government may have limited authority over provincial highway names and jointly funding signage could set a costly precedent.
- Renaming an existing highway requires replacing signs, may confuse drivers and entails extra costs; some may prefer less disruptive commemorations.
- Online petitions and media backing cited by petitioners may not demonstrate broad national support; Parliament might seek wider consultation before funding.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons Gordon Lightfoot (dec) is a Canadian singer and songwriter icon known and respected worldwide; Gordon is widely recognized as Canada’s greatest songwriter. He composed over 400 songs many of which were hits in Canada, the US and internationally. As Bob Dylan said, “Every time I listen to one of them, I wish it would last forever.”; We school mates and other admirers feel that in his honour and memory, Highway 400 should be renamed "The Gordon Lightfoot Memorial Highway", linking Toronto, where Gordon lived his adult life, to Orillia, where he grew up, and Georgian Bay, which he loved; Such a naming will provide people with a better understanding and appreciation of our history, our environment and our own emotions; Such a naming will encourage others to also work harder in their chosen professions; Radio and TV stations, newspapers and magazines throughout the Province of Ontario have supported the proposed Highway 400 renaming; and 20,000 persons have signed a Change.Org petition to so rename Highway 400. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to support the naming of Highway 400 “the Gordon Lightfoot Memorial Highway” and to offer to jointly fund with the Province of Ontario the new signage involved.
Government response
No government response is available yet.