TTC churning through $25,000 as part of Pioneer Village renaming

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Even without changing the name of the nearby subway station, the rechristening of Black Creek Pioneer Village is expected to cost the TTC $25,000.

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In an internal TTC email, released to the Sun after a freedom-of-information request, Ian Dickson said there “has been no discussion to my knowledge of changing the station name.”

Still, Dickson, who manages wayfinding for the TTC, wrote in the Feb. 13 email that changing the signs that direct passengers to the living history museum would cost $25,000.

Coincidentally, the cost to change the name of the entire station was pegged at $25,000 in 2013.

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the non-profit that owns and operates Black Creek Pioneer Village, plans to change the living history museum’s name to “The Village at Black Creek.” In a document, the TRCA says “the word ‘pioneer’ has been identified as a barrier to efforts related to reconciliation and engagement in this important cultural attraction for indigenous and multicultural communities.”

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While TTC chairman Jamaal Myers did not respond to requests for comment from the Sun, a spokesman confirmed the transit authority has no plans at the moment to rename Pioneer Village station.

In another email disclosed to the Sun, Darryl Gray, a director with the TRCA, told Dickson and other TTC staff that the group can be “flexible in terms of the rollout of the name change if it is helpful to TTC.”

In an emailed statement, Gray told the Sun the TTC has been quiet since and has made no requests “regarding timing or any other matter surrounding the rebranding.”

While the February emails show the TRCA planned for the name change to take effect this month, that is now only expected to begin this fall.

A TRCA document from 2023 estimated the first phase of “de-colonializing the official name of the museum” would cost $45,000.

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Visitors this summer “can expect the same engaging, educational experience that is iconic to the Village,” Gray told the Sun, “but we are supplementing this with a well-rounded range of experiences, events and programming like haunted walks, animal flow yoga, Secret City Adventures’ escape game, weekends showcasing local artists, and immersive theatre with live history that reflect and cater to the diverse interests of the communities we serve.”

Established in 1960, Black Creek Pioneer Village typically draws 140,000 visitors a year, according to the TRCA.

jholmes@postmedia.com

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