Asset Naming

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The Township of Zorra is taking steps to support our community's response to COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) and measures taken by Southwestern Public Health. We are monitoring our operations daily to ensure we are taking the right actions to protect our residents, employees and visitors. Visit our COVID-19 page for regular updates.

Asset Naming

In 2021, Zorra Council approved an Asset Naming Policy for the Township. This policy provides a framework for the naming of all assets within the Township of Zorra including, roads, parks, trails, open spaces, buildings, memorial areas, or any municipal facilities or assets. This policy replaces our previous Naming of Parks, Open Space and Facilities Policy.

The purpose of the Asset Naming Policy is to provide for a fair, consistent, and efficient process while including the important need for public consultation and legislative approvals with respect to naming, by following strategy 2, to consult, communication mediums will be utilized, such as the Township website and social media.

The policy applies to any organization, partnership or individual requesting the naming of a municipal asset or requesting a name be added to the Zorra Names Registry. The responsibility for naming municipal assets will be that of Council. The Director of Corporate Services/Clerk shall be responsible for administration of the policy and to compile and keep up to date a Zorra Names Registry.

The policy provides for a process for anyone to apply for a name to be added to the Registry and to apply for a particular asset to be named from that list of Council approved names. A developer would be required to select names for their developments from the registry and, following their selection, those names will be brought to Council for approval.

The cost associated with a naming/renaming (including but not limited to signage, ceremonial costs, legal costs, etc.) will be the responsibility of the Township when the naming/re-naming has been initiated by the Township and will be the responsibility of the Community/Developer or Corporate entity when the naming/renaming has been initiated by the Community/ Developer/Corporate entity or is part of a land use planning development.

Visit our Policies page to view the Asset Naming Policy. 

Visit our Forms page to complete the Asset Naming Request Form.

For more information, please contact the Director of Corporate Services/Clerk at 519-485-2490 ext 7228.

Name Registry Applications Under Review

The following names have been submitted for consideration under our Zorra Asset Naming Policy. Public comments are encouraged and can be submitted to the Clerk by email. Be sure to note the deadline for comments for each name listed.

Name for Consideration Category Submitted by Background Deadline for Comments

Approved Name Registry

The list below is a central repository of all Council approved names with historical or background information for each name. These names will be considered when naming/re-naming future streets, parks, facilities, etc. 

Category Name Background & Significance Date Approved by Council Asset Selected
Former Councillor KELLY Tony Kelly was a long-time resident of Zorra, former Councillor, member of the Police Services Board in Thamesford, and was involved in bringing an arena and a pool to Thamesford. He has been a Lions Club member for over 50 years and he was the announcer for the Thamesford Trojans hockey club for over 40 years! He moved into a retirement community in London a few years ago but loves coming back to Thamesford whenever he can. 2020-12-16 The name Kelly will be used for a street in the Thames Springs West development.
Prominent Citizen CALHOUN Ron Calhoun founded the Ladies Ride Against Cancer In Thamesford in 1969. He coined the phrase "Marathon of Hope" and was the national coordinator of Terry Fox's historic run. He was the national fundraising chair for the Canadian Cancer Society when Fox started his run in Newfoundland in 1980. In the 1990s he volunteered with Jesse’s Journey in London and helped John Davidson with his wheelchair trek across Ontario, as well as his cross-Canada walk. Besides the Canadian Cancer Society and Jesse’s Journey, among other charities, Calhoun also volunteered with Canadian Diabetes Association and ALS Society of Canada. Among his many honours, Calhoun was awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and an honourary Doctor of Laws from Western University in 2011. 2020-12-16 The name Calhoun will be used for a street in the Thames Springs West development.
Prominent Citizen HOGG There is a rich history of the Hogg family in this area. George Hogg immigrated from Scotland to Thamesford in the 1850s and raised his family on a farm just north of town. His grandchildren and great grandchildren went onto run a variety of businesses in the village.  George Hogg and Sons flower Mill, purchased in 1917, had four generations of the Hogg family involved in the business. Over many generations, we see members of the Hogg family contributing significantly to the business community throughout our history, as well as contributing generously through volunteerism and community projects. 2020-12-16
Prominent Citizen HOSSACK The Hossack family were historical land owners of this area. Duncan Hossack owned 2 businesses on Dundas Street, contributing to the business community of the village.  Most notably, Duncan was the chair of the pool committee, and was instrumental in bringing the pool to Thamesford. 2020-12-16
Prominent Citizen JOE AND ELLEN Joe and Ellen Wallace have been contributing members of the Thamesford community for a lifetime. Joe was a founding member of the Fire Dept and was the Fire Chief from 1961 – 2001. He is a Charter member of the Thamesford Lions Club and has 60 plus years of involvement in different projects around the township. Joe was also one of the owner/operators of Wallace Brothers Lumber in Thamesford that was in business from 1938 - 2007. In his later years, Joe took up wood turning. His bowls and other turned art pieces are much sought after treasures. In 1964, Joe and Ellen, along with the rest of the Wallace clan, launched Skee Hi, the popular ski hill just North of Thamesford. This led them to get to know many members of Thamesford and surrounding areas. Originally from a farm north of town, Ellen taught in area schools for 30 years including at Thamesford Public School, AJ Baker and Sacred Heart. She was a driving force behind the new Library building that we have in the heart of Thamesford. She has authored several books on the history of Thamesford which can be found at the  Thamesford Library. Ellen is an accomplished pianist and has played in many community events as well as playing the organ for many church events. In addition to these many accomplishments, Joe and Ellen found time to grow a family. They have 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 11 great children (and counting). Their great  grandchildren will be the seventh generation in the township. The Wallace family continues to contribute to the community and are involved in many of the same groups, clubs and committees as Joe and Ellen. When looking at the things Joe and Ellen have accomplished in their lifetime, they seem like the perfect candidates to have a landmark named after them to honour and remember the impact they had on this community we all love! 2020-05-05
Prominent Citizen WEIR

Dr. Weir was a beloved family physician in Thamesford for over 3 decades. He also served as the Oxford Medical Officer of Health. Service to this community runs in the blood of the Weir family. William Weir was Councillor and Reeve of East Nissouri and served as the Warden of Oxford County in 1926. The Weir name lives on in the community today through their descendants. Volunteerism has always been of utmost importance through the generations Don Weir is an active member of the Thamesford Lions Club and was instrumental in bringing the Splash Pad, Skate Park and Lions Pavilion to Thamesford. In addition, Don is the recipient of the Zorra Seniors Award, The Thamesford Lion of the Year Award and the Melvin Jones Lions International Fellowship Award for Humanitarianism. With the Weir family history of love and service for the people of Thamesford as well as the broader community, I feel very strongly  that it would be both timely and fitting that said dedication be recognized through the naming of a street or public facility in their honour, be it for one of the above gentlemen or for the family as a whole.

 2021-04-21

Municipal Asset Registry

What is an asset? In a municipal world, the term “asset” refers to engineered infrastructure such as streets, roads, bridges, parks, and buildings.

You may have wondered why your street has the name it does, or why a park or trail has a specific name. Many of these assets were named with a specific person, family, or organization in mind. For example, the Lions River Park in Thamesford was named for the Thamesford Lions Club. Many members of this Club have spent a lot of time caring for trees in this park.

We are working to compile a list of all our named municipal assets along with the significance of their names. We need your help! If you have personal knowledge about the reason for the name of a certain street, bridge, or park, let us know! We will combine all these details into a master list of assets. This list will assist Council in making decisions when choosing names for future assets.

Click here for the list of asset names. Then forward your information to our Clerk by email so we can compile the information together into a registry. You may wish to refer to your local library and history books to assist in gathering information.