The name game
Birchwood, Orlebar, The Commons all popular names suggested for Charlottetown neighbourhood north of Euston Street
A group of Charlottetown residents are hoping to find out if a neighbourhood by any other name is just as sweet to live in.
A community initiative in the neighbourhood north of Euston Street, which is bordered by Allen Street as well as University and Longworth avenues, is aiming to find the best name for the tight-knit community.
The group “North of Euston Neighbourhood Engagement Project” on Facebook recently released the results from a survey to narrow down residents’ preferences for a new name.
Ellen Mullally, one of the driving forces of the initiative, said it largely started as a community building exercise between neighbours and resulted in almost 200 people taking part in the online survey.
“In terms of formal naming, maybe sometime down the road. It really just depends on what the community wants. I think when we started the conversation we didn’t have an end goal in site… Community building is a really nice thing to have and that’s what we want to develop and keep working on.” Ellen Mullally
“It’s really interesting and it’s generated a lot of conversations. I think people are having fun with it,” said Mullally.
She said the group would likely hold a second survey where residents can vote on the most popular choices that came out of the first one.
The two most popular names from the first survey include Orlebar and Birchwood, although other well-liked names included Ravenwood, North of Euston, Foxden, The Hill, Pickle Park and Wowkwis (the Mi’kmaq word for red fox).
Mullally, who moved to the area a little over a year ago, said it has a distinct identity, with its own park, schools and community events.
Resident Karla Bernard, who liked the names Foxden, Pickle Park and Wowkwis, said the area has changed dramatically since she moved to it eight years ago.
“It’s busier. There seems to be more going on… It just feels like kind of a closer-knit community,” said Bernard.
Resident Scott Brown, who preferred the names Foxden and The Plateau, added the community has a diverse group of residents that range from families to students and seniors.
“That’s my favourite thing about the community. It’s such a mix of people,” said Brown.
Whether the area will ever see an adopted name become recognized as official is another question, said Mullally.
“In terms of formal naming, maybe sometime down the road,” said Mullally. “It really just depends on what the community wants. I think when we started the conversation we didn’t have an end goal in site… Community building is a really nice thing to have and that’s what we want to develop and keep working on.”