Coun. Jennifer McKelvie’s motion to designate the route from Rogers Centre – where the pop star will be performing – to Nathan Phillips Square as 'Taylor Swift Way' was approved by a vote of 21 to 1.Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
There is some bad blood toward a Toronto city councillor for being the lone No vote on a motion to rename a downtown route after Taylor Swift in November when her Eras Tour stops in the city for six sold-out nights.
Councillor Jennifer McKelvie’s motion to designate the route from Rogers Centre – where the pop star will be performing – to Nathan Phillips Square as “Taylor Swift Way” was approved by a vote of 21 to 1 on Thursday. The final result was a vote shy of a Swiftian 22, thanks to Councillor Josh Matlow’s dissent.
Mr. Matlow wrote in an e-mail that he voted against the motion because he believes talking about the pop star was not the best use of the council’s time.
“When we’re facing a housing and affordability crisis, and in the aftermath of major flooding, Torontonians understandably want their representatives to focus on the real issues,” Mr. Matlow wrote.
In her remarks before the council on Thursday, Ms. McKelvie said these welcoming measures would be “Taylor-onto’s” way of honouring Ms. Swift and showing her the city “will love her evermore.”
The approved motion aims to put the city in full Swift mode in November, with the Rogers Centre stadium being designated as “1 Taylor Swift Way” and the “Toronto” sign at Nathan Phillips Square being lit in red for the days of her concerts.
“It’s our way to show Taylor she’s the one we’ve been waiting for, that she has brought us much happiness,” Ms. McKelvie told the council.
The signs will be donated to Daily Bread Food Bank to be auctioned off to support the charity – a way to follow Ms. Swift’s lead on donating to food banks in the cities she’s touring in, Ms. McKelvie said. She added that she thanks Rogers Centre for agreeing to cover the cost of the signs.
After the votes were revealed, speaker Frances Nunziata joked that “Matlow does not like her songs.”
Anika Munir, a student of urban development graduate studies at Toronto Metropolitan University, said she knows all too well how important this renaming is to the city’s arts and culture.
She said Taylor Swift Way is a great move toward creating an inclusive and welcoming space for fans like herself who were unable to buy tickets to the concert.
“The renaming will help brand the city and bring together both tourists and locals,” she said in an interview.
Ms. Munir said while she understands the concerns of Torontonians in raising awareness of the important challenges facing the city, she doesn’t think actions like these take away from the bigger picture.
“The city hasn’t forgotten about these important issues, they are working on them, but they’re also trying to recognize these smaller wins as well,” she said.