The City has a Street Naming and Civic Addressing Policy that clearly defines a process for the naming of streets or the changing of street names, and what steps are required to request a name change.

Applications from developers and residents are reviewed by the Street Naming Advisory Committee. The committee consults with the Inclusion Advisory Committee, and other groups as required, to support an equitable and diverse selection of names.

Street Naming Application

Street Renaming Application

The Street Naming Advisory Committee is comprised of at least one representative from each of the following City divisions:

Office of the City Clerk
Corporate Information Services (CIS)
Organizational Performance and Strategy
St. John’s Regional Fire Department

The Committee may consult with various other departments as required.

Why is the City implementing a policy?

The policy is designed to provide clear guidance to City staff, Council, property developers and the general public for street naming/renaming and civic addressing.

Who can request that a street be named? How do they do it?

Members of the public, including property developers, may submit a street name for consideration. They will need to complete the Street Naming Application form and submit it to the Office of the City Clerk.

What categories of names are eligible for street naming?

Categories the City will consider for street naming include:

People or organizations

a street name honouring a person or organization should be of historical significance, while respecting societal, cultural and historical sensitivities
The City will not consider naming streets after people who are still living
The City will seek the permission of the person’s representative (e.g., family) or the organization prior to approving any names of people or organizations

places or events
flora or fauna
natural or geographical features
a name based on the theme of other streets in a neighbourhood

How are street names submitted by the public reviewed and/or approved?

Street Naming applications received by the City will be reviewed by the Street Naming Advisory Committee. The Committee may consult with other groups prior to deciding whether the names should be included in the Reserved Street Names Inventory.

How are street names selected?

When a street requires a name, the Committee will select a name from the Reserved Street Names Inventory and submit it to Council for their approval.

When will the City consider renaming a street?

The City will only consider renaming a street if:

there is a regulatory reason, or
the continued use of the name would not be in the best interest of the City

This is meant to be an extremely high bar, as there are considerable negative impacts to residents and businesses if their street is renamed.

Who can request that a street be renamed?

The City will only accept renaming requests from City residents or property owners.

What is the process for requesting a street be renamed?

The required steps for processing a street renaming request are:

submission of a street renaming application
petition of property owners for street renaming support completed by the person requesting the street be renamed, the petition must meet the 50 percent plus one threshold to be eligible for further consideration
if the threshold is met, a poll of all property owners will be conducted by the Office of the City Clerk
recommendation to Council to approve or reject the request
if the request moves forward, the Office of the City Clerk will advise the public and property owners of a public notice period of at least 60 days and the time and date for any public meeting
recommendation by the Street Naming Advisory Committee to Council regarding whether to approve or reject the street renaming request
upon the decision of Council, notification by mail to all property owners on the street of the outcome, including when any change will occur

A request for street renaming has been made for my street? What do I need to do?

You may be requested to respond to a mail poll from the City (these are only sent to property owners). If so, you should indicate whether you do or do not support the street renaming request.

There will be a public notice period and a public meeting. Anyone, including property owners, residents, or other interested parties, may provide feedback during the public notice period as directed by information provided by the City.

Council has approved changing my street name. What do I need to do?

There will be a delayed implementation period to allow residents time to complete activities related to the name change.

Residents will have to contact Canada Post to redirect their mail to the new address free of charge.

Residents will also have to notify other individuals and agencies of the address change. The City has provided a list of some types of individuals and organizations that may need to be contacted. Please note that it is the responsibility of individual residents to contact the appropriate individuals and organizations.

I want to change my civic address, what do I do?

The property owner or property developer of the civic address will need to submit a request in writing to the Office of the City Clerk outlining the need for the change.

Who do I contact for more information about any of the requirements for street naming, renaming or civic address changes?

You may contact the Office of the City Clerk by phone at 709-576-8619 or by email at cityclerk@stjohns.ca.