Right now, across Canada, there are questions around the names of places, institutions and even streets. The debate about whether or not we should rename something that honours problematic and sometimes racist historical figures is a question all sorts of organizations, from governments to companies to school boards are wrestling with.

But more interesting questions come afterward. So you’ve decided to change a name: To what? Who gets a say? How exactly do you go about correcting the historical record? Do you wipe all references to the former person clean, or acknowledge the former name? And how minute can you get with the names of places and things before logistics become a problem?

GUEST: Dr. Vidya Shah, York University

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca 

Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter