TOWNSHIP DEPARTMENT INFORMATION TOWNSHIP DEPARTMENT INFORMATION 20 Zorra Now | Spring 2026 Zorra Now | Spring 2026 21 What’s in a name? By Deputy Mayor Katie Grigg That which we call a rose, …or a road, by any other name would smell as sweet? While a road name may not change the nature of the driving/cycling/jogging landscape, I would argue that it can very much be sweeter when it evokes stories that are ours. The names on our roads, parks, and facilities function as just that, ways to identify them and differentiate from each other. However, we know that often we have names that hold special meaning, and those names serve to remind us of who we are, where we come from, and what makes this place we call home so wonderful. So, I would suggest there is a lot in a name. You likely have travelled Zorra township roads that are named with prominent local family names. You also likely have read signs that have names that may be less known. As our communities grow and new roads, parks, and facilities are added, new names become part of our inventory and give opportunity to hold as much or little meaning as we like. In the past, there was no set way on how these were decided. In February of 2021, Zorra Council brought some structure to this, through the implementation of the Zorra Asset Naming Policy, mainly to provide clarity and transparency on how these decisions are made, and also to provide the opportunity for residents to contribute their own stories and observations to be considered for new assets. The name on a sign can spark curiosity, conversations, and can be a way that helps connect us. I happen to know a few stories to bring some meaning to Darlison Drive in Thamesford. It was named for the late Albert Darlison, who was a resident of the village of Thamesford until his death in 2014, a week after his 99th birthday. He was a founding member of the Thamesford Volunteer Fire Dept, and could tell you about how it worked before pagers existed. He was one of the homes with a fire phone in it and then had a chain of contacts to get the word out. He held many roles in the community, including helping with the May long weekend celebration of Calithumpian, and was part of the 2009 festivities when the Olympic torch passed through Thamesford, closing down Dundas and bringing us all out of our homes in the cold to be together and witness the magic. There may still be photos from this up at the Thamesford RBC. These are likely to be the formal reasons for the naming honour, however like any human, there is always much more. He had a golden retriever named Buddy who ate too many treats and would run along the yard to greet passers by. Buddy loved kids, and kids loved Buddy. Albert had a pair of Adirondack chairs on his wrap around porch that I’m pretty sure he made in his woodworking shop. He often would be found napping in his favourite chair, or sipping a cold drink while visiting with a friend who would sit in the second chair, or leaning against the porch post in the shade of the massive tree that is no longer there. A tree that he planted…or so the story goes. His woodworking shop in his garage was where he built dozens of “Martha Washington Sewing Cabinets” after his retirement, with a template that he still had from his days as a student of Beal High School. Many of these were given as special gifts and included his signature and identifying number in the drawer of each cabinet he completed. If you see one of these around town, the owner may have a Darlison story for you as well. When he passed, he had just completed his final cabinet, ready to go out to its new home. I don’t know what number it was. At one point in his early ownership of the home on the north side of town, he had horses and used to ride them where there are now rows of houses on Washington, Byron and McCarty St. It’s hard to even imagine the village from that time, especially if you have only recently moved here. Albert had a lot of stories, so much so that it was hard to believe it all to be true. The parts of his story we know will depend on when we knew him, and from what context. I knew him as a neighbour and friend in the final years of his life. Others for decades, or other contexts. He was the unofficial teacher of local history to those who stopped by, and helped many of us fall in love with this place, who were not necessarily from here. When the moon was high in the sky, he would often chuckle and say “the biggest farce the American government ever pulled”…with total disbelief that humans could ever have landed on the moon. Clearly this was said before he passed in 2014, ahead of so much yet to come. In beautiful synchronicity, as I recall this story of Albert, my entire news and socials content is dominated by the Artemis II mission. The added excitement for us in a local context is watching history-making Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute graduate Jeremy Hansen, who is the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit, and is now among the humans who have traveled the farthest from Earth, breaking the distance record alongside the rest of the Artemis II crew…and who happened to attend high school with some of our neighbours. As incredible images are captured and shared back to earth, probably the most powerful story of our shared humanity from this mission happens to be about, you guessed it, a name. “Her name was Carroll. The spouse of Reid. The mother of Katie and Ellie”. If you have not watched the video of or read about this, stop reading this now and go find it. I’m not looking to debate Albert, moon landing conspiracy theories, or trust in the American government, but to think about the discovery of a bright spot on the moon, and the question, what is in a name? In recent history we face caution around assigning names, as over time we sometimes learn more, or society shifts, and the honour is no longer what is reflected. This can be really challenging to navigate, and some feel that is reason to not bother at all. While that can be a potential concern, the benefit of telling who we are, today, is something that we are not willing to lose. We choose names, we find meaning, we invite conversations. We see ourselves in these stories. And look at all the conversations we are having now, because of a bright spot on the moon named Carroll. And a Drive in Thamesford named Darlison. Important other considerations for contributing YOUR important local stories: If you have a submission for the Asset Naming Policy, including learning about the criteria, visit www.zorra.ca Also, check out the HISTORY section on our website to learn about various other historical resources. We are served with a shared museum with our neighbours in SWOX in the Beachville District Museum: www.beachvilledistrictmuseum.com Including the efforts and projects of the Zorra Historical Society We are served with archival services through the County of Oxford: www.archives/ oxfordcounty.ca Our Thamesford branch library also has some incredible binders of local history. Pop in and chat with staff about these! Albert and horse. North side of Thamesford. Unknown year. Drawing of porch with 2 chairs and tree Martha Washington sewing cabinet #35 completed June 20 2012
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