SO who was the Kenney in Kenney St.? Thanks to the self-published compilation years ago called “How Our Streets Were Named” by Yvonne Moen and Helen Haselmeyer, we know.
ET Kenney, who also has a Southside school named after him, was one of several brothers to move here in the early part of the last century.
He moved up quickly in life, becoming the provincial government’s lands and forests minister. His name as a result is also on the Kenney Dam, part of Rio Tinto Alcan’s northwest hydro power facilities.
And now city council, while not at all dismissing the contributions of past people, wants to expand its street-naming list to include, for example, prominent current individuals and First Nations.
And that’s a good idea because of the worthwhile aspect of broadening how the diverse population and peoples of the area are represented through a local government’s actions.
Former mayor Jack Talstra, who now has a street named after him, for one is looking forward to streets containing First Nations names.
And Barb Kennedy-Niemi, in an online comment, thinks the city should have a street simply called “Community Way,” with space underneath the sign to honour one individual a year and to be announced each Riverboat Days.
Now this is something a new city council can accomplish quickly.
Editorial, The Terrace Standard, Nov. 19, 2014
