It's refreshing to see how many people rose to the defence of Samuel de Champlain during the recent tempest over the naming of a new bridge in Montreal. It's always a good thing when Canadians fight to preserve a bit of their history.

The new span in question will replace the iconic Champlain Bridge, and will cross the St. Lawrence River and Seaway in virtually the same spot as the old bridge. And yet for some reason federal Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel floated the idea of changing the name. His proposal: Rename it after Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice "Rocket" Richard.

The public, pundits and academics went berserk, and Mr. Lebel has since backed down. He now says he will honour the wishes of Rocket Richard's descendants, who have asked him to take the hockey player's name out of contention. Mr. Lebel, however, has not yet said whether the new bridge will continue with the old name. He should do that, as soon as possible.

Story continues below advertisement

Samuel de Champlain is one of the great figures of Canadian history. The French navigator and explorer helped settle Acadia and founded what is now Quebec City. He was the first European to explore the Great Lakes. Later, he became the administrator of New France and, in 1624, he laid the first stone in the fortifications at Quebec City. He is widely regarded as the father of New France, and New France is a father of Canada.

The importance of preserving his name on so vital a link as the Champlain Bridge, which connects the island of Montreal to the mainland – to Canada, you might say – was obvious to everyone except Mr. Lebel. For many in Quebec, the idea of renaming the bridge after a hockey player, even one as revered as The Rocket, smacked of a manipulative populism. There has been a long fight over who will pay for the new bridge – taxpayers or tolled drivers – and that's a debate worth having. But renaming the bridge? It's an argument that should never have been started.

We don't know Mr. Lebel's motivation for his ill-considered decision. What we do know is that he can redeem himself by confirming that Samuel de Champlain will retain his place at the centre of Montreal's geography. The new Champlain Bridge, spanning the great river that is a highway to the heart of the continent, should stand for many future generations of Canadians as a symbol of the great explorer's contribution to our heritage.