Streets with Multiple Names

[TMKM94]

Does anyone know why a lot of streets in KW have more then one name? e.g. Park St. becomes Jubilee, then Courtland Ave. then Fairway RD., even short streets like Strange St. becomes West Ave. do most cities have streets like us or is it only KW?

[rangersfan]

I know this happens sometimes when an established road is extended. The original stretch of the road has buildings with established building numbers and in order not to break the continuity of the numbers they just call the street a new name. I also think this is why we have King St N, S, E and W but I could be wrong.

[ijmorlan]

I know this happens sometimes when an established road is extended. The original stretch of the road has buildings with established building numbers and in order not to break the continuity of the numbers they just call the street a new name. I also think this is why we have King St N, S, E and W but I could be wrong.

The answer in one word is “history”.

A different sort of example is Fischer-Hallman Road, which was formed out of one road (Either Fischer or Hallman, I don’t remember which one) that started at Glasgow St. and proceeded North, another (Hallman or Fischer) which ran from I think either Highland or Victoria to approximately where Ottawa is now, and finally a third which used to be part of what is now called Westmount Rd. So Fischer-Hallman is built out of pieces but was renamed.

The reverse also happens: one road to Cambridge has been gradually split up into Mill St., Carwood Ave., Vanier Dr., Manitou Dr., Doon Village Rd., Doon Valley Dr., Morningside Dr., and Blair Rd.

In many cases some interesting heritage properties can be found hiding just off routes that used to be main roads but are now just neighbourhood streets or in some cases don’t exist at all. A Waterloo example exists on Braeburn Pl., where one house is older than everything around it, having been just off a portion of what is now called Amos Ave. that no longer exists.

Kitchener and Waterloo have more of this than most Ontario municipalities because our original survey was a private survey done by the Mennonite settlers, not the usual concession and lot survey and not a single grid, and the road network that developed introduced major further irregularities. In most areas, main roads are mostly upgraded concession and side roads; here in the Township of Waterloo, they are a sometimes-confusing combination of old farm roads and new routes. Additionally, many old routes have been demoted to neighbourhood streets or eliminated entirely.

[Markster]

Ottawa St similarly is pieced out of multiple other former streets.  The part of it that bends under the the highway just before Homer-Watson is a bit of a bypass section that was built to connect different existing roads.


The Strange/West connection I'm sure was for many years just two streets that hit Victoria about 50m apart. One big jog on West, and you save a lot of people making some modestly dangerous maneuvers to make the connection.

[tomh009]

A different sort of example is Fischer-Hallman Road, which was formed out of one road (Either Fischer or Hallman, I don’t remember which one) that started at Glasgow St. and proceeded North, another (Hallman or Fischer) which ran from I think either Highland or Victoria to approximately where Ottawa is now, and finally a third which used to be part of what is now called Westmount Rd. So Fischer-Hallman is built out of pieces but was renamed.

Back in the 70s it was Fischer Road in Kitchener, running from Ottawa to Victoria and dividing Forest Heights from Forest Hill, while in Waterloo Hallman Road ran behind Beechwood, from Glasgow up to Columbia.

[KevinL]

Ottawa St similarly is pieced out of multiple other former streets.  The part of it that bends under the the highway just before Homer-Watson is a bit of a bypass section that was built to connect different existing roads.

And that bypass left behind what is now Avalon Place. Stirling Avenue has always terminated there, but it used to connect to more of a through road.

[panamaniac]

Ottawa St similarly is pieced out of multiple other former streets.  The part of it that bends under the the highway just before Homer-Watson is a bit of a bypass section that was built to connect different existing roads.

And that bypass left behind what is now Avalon Place. Stirling Avenue has always terminated there, but it used to connect to more of a through road.

Back when it was still Shoemaker St (Ave?).  That section, up to Mill St.  was renamed when the Stirling overpass was built.

[The85]

Does anyone know why a lot of streets in KW have more then one name? e.g. Park St. becomes Jubilee, then Courtland Ave. then Fairway RD.

Forgot one...it becomes Kossuth Road after that as it travels further east across the Grand River, dividing Cambridge and Woolwich Township.

[panamaniac]

One obvious example is Benton/Frederick downtown. I think that Benton did not meet Frederick head on until the old Post Office was torn down and the street was widened.

[greybird]

Benton/Frederick is the same deal as Krug/Cedar. Krug must be a story all on its own though. If memory serves it used to end somewhere before River Road until they put that jog in.

What about Lackner, Bingeman Centre, Shirley and Riverbend?

[gomesjustin]

My favourite is Caroline > Bridgeport > Riverbend > Shirley Ave. > Bingemans Centre Dr. > Lackner > Fairway Cres. > Idle Creek Dr. Google Map it!

**edit which was just slightly mentioned above ^

[mpd618]

What about Lackner, Bingeman Centre, Shirley and Riverbend?

I don't know about the rest, but what's now Riverbend Drive and River Road used to be just River Road, with a narrow wooden bridge over the railway.

[KevinL]

Note that the Shirley-Riverbend connection will be going away soon, when the new Hwy. 7 goes in. Shirley will instead connect to Wellington from that time.

[Smore]

Note that the Shirley-Riverbend connection will be going away soon, when the new Hwy. 7 goes in. Shirley will instead connect to Wellington from that time.

would we then get to say that it is:

Idle Creek Dr > Fairway Cres. > Lackner > Bingemans Centre Dr. > Shirley Ave. >Wellington > Walter > Glasgow > University ...   ??

[MidTowner]

Note that the Shirley-Riverbend connection will be going away soon, when the new Hwy. 7 goes in. Shirley will instead connect to Wellington from that time.

would we then get to say that it is:

Idle Creek Dr > Fairway Cres. > Lackner > Bingemans Centre Dr. > Shirley Ave. >Wellington > Walter > Glasgow > University ...   ??

Wellington definitely terminates at Walter, rather than continuing as it: there's a stop sign, and they are perpendicular to one another. I think where Glasgow hits University is a controlled intersection, too.

Justin's example of Caroline and Bridgeport is really remarkable to me because the road has multiple names while having the same designation as a Regional road.