Bridge Naming Request Hits a Policy Snag

Jeff Green | Nov 30, 2023

In September of 2021, David Brown made a proposal to South Frontenac Council.

Brown, a South Frontenac resident in the Petworth Road area, asked council to re-name the Petworth bridge after David Ira Boyce, a soldier who came from what was then the Village of Petworth, and died in 1918 in a battle in Belgium, near the end of the 1^st World War.

In 2021, council was receptive. In fact, the Mayor said it was a “no-brainer”.

Then, nothing.

Brown returned to council on October 3^rd of this year, asking why nothing had happened. Brown also clarified his request. He is not asking or a sign on the bridge, but rather signs on the side of the road in the approaches to the bridge from both sides.

In October, township CAO Louise Fragnito said she would attend to the matter, and according to David Brown, one of the council members, Scott Trueman, approached him after the meeting and said he would look into it as well.

“'Give me a month' he told me,” said Brown, in a phone interview last week.

A couple of weeks ago, Brown got a call from Trueman, letting him know that the re-naming was not going to happen at this time.

“I told him that I wanted to see it in writing,” said Brown.

In November 10, Brown received an email from Fragnito.

The email said that  the township is “fully supportive of commemorating and recognising individuals from South Frontenac such as the war veteran from Petworth, Colonel Boyce.”

But she said that council has endorsed a “commemoration policy” and an “asset naming” policy is pending, and under these policies “ we would not allow for the bridge to be named or for signage to be erected on each side of the bridge.”

Fragnito added that the commemoration policy would allow an item to be placed in the parkette that the township is planning to develop at the nearby site of the Petworth Mill, which was recently demolished for safety reasons.

“This could be a tree planting, a bench, a plaque or something else of your suggestion that would need to be reviewed through our Manager of Facilities,” she wrote.

“I was not satisfied with that response,” Brown said. There are bridges on provincial highways named for fallen police officers, and I don't see why it can't happen in South Frontenac. I wrote back to the CAO telling asking her to explain what was the rationale behind the policy that blocked this naming.”

Fragnito responded again.

“The [Commemoration] policy does not allow commemorative amenities to be installed in the municipal right of way due to the risks associated with roadway hazards, sight line obstruction, conflict with existing regulatory signage or public utilities,” she wrote.

She also wrote that the the asset naming policy that the township is working on is slated to ebe broiught forward in December.

“The policy will speak to the naming of municipal assets such as bridges similar to our existing road naming by-law 2015-60 which provides a predetermined list of available names for the naming of new roads or private lanes or renaming of such,” she wrote.

“I don't see how a bridge sign on the side of the road poses any threat to public safety,” said Brown. “It doesn't add up for me, and when people in the community ask me why this isn't happening I don't know what to tell them.”

When contacted by phone on Monday, Scott Trueman said that council will be looking at the asset naming policy in December or perhaps January, and he indicated that only when that policy is adopted will a final decision on the bridge naming take place.

“Staff is preparing the policy, but it is council who ill accept it, or ask for changes. Once that policy is adopted by council, and I have only one vote out of 8 on what that final policy is, then we can see if naming the bridge after Corporal Boyce fits with the policy.” he said.”