From bustling boulevards to sleepy streets, Torontonians have been buzzing online about some of the city’s oddest and strangest road names.
A recent online discussion asked residents to share the weirdest street names they’ve encountered around the city, bringing up multiple eyebrow-raising finds that have raised some interesting questions and takes.
Leading the topic was Glicksman Glick Lane, a deeply unserious name that some say sounds like it belongs in a children’s book rather than a neighbourhood. According to a city report, the street name was implemented in 2020 and honours Max Glicksman and Morris Glick, two business-owning brothers who had a long-standing and positive reputation in the King Street West and Spadina Avenue area since the 1950s.
Another standout favourite included Corn Chamomile Lane, which could be mistaken for a herbal tea blend rather than a Toronto street. The laneway was named back in 2009, as detailed in a city report, and highlights the Corn Chamomile wildflower which is often found at roadsides and other busy sites with poor soil quality such as the lanes of Cabbagetown, where the street resides.
In addition to Corn Chamomile lane, the city recommended new names for a total of 39 laneways in the former Ward 28, with some weirdly notable ones including: Prohibition Lane, Goatsbeard Lane, Fresh Air Lane, and Picking Coke Lane.
Cream Top Lane got a shoutout for its dessert-like appeal, and its name is in fact a nod to the city’s dairy industry. A city report from 2018 says the name commemorates “the many Dairies that served Toronto” in the Seaton Village area, including Willard’s Cream Top Dairy on Dupont St. from 1925-1928, as well as Acme Dairy, Walmer Dairy, Briar Hill Dairy, and Carruthers Silverwood’s Dairy Company.
Other Torontonians online brought attention to Old Sweats Lane in Scarborough, a name that drew both laughter and curiosity. While there isn’t a city report that explains its meaning, “old sweats” was a common nickname for long-serving soldiers, particularly those who served in the world wars or Korean War.
Rounding out the odd lineup are Random Street, a delightfully literal name, and Alley Cat Lane, which sounds like a secret hideout for mischief-makers. Unfortunately, users couldn’t pinpoint the origins of Random Street, but the naming of Alley Cat Lane highlighted the feral cats that lived in dilapidated backyards along the adjacent Bathurst Street and survived off of food scraps left for them by residents, as a 2019 city report reads.
The City of Toronto says online that city streets must enhance equity and inclusion in peacemaking and promote a broader understanding of community history and legacy. Strict guidelines include that roadways should be informed by research, honour Indigenous and other equity-deserving communities’ values, and have a connection to Canadian history.
The city also says that residents can request for a review of existing street names in Toronto that may be considered problematic.
