Jack Layton’s name — a symbol of hope to many — could soon supplant the name of a road often associated with despair.

In Layton’s Toronto-Danforth riding, a portion of the Don Jail Roadway, combined with a new east-west street created for the ongoing Bridgepoint hospital redevelopment could become Jack Layton Way, to honour the former Toronto city councillor and NDP leader who died of cancer in 2011.

The proposed street, which will run from St. Matthews Rd. to Broadview Ave., is expected to open later this year, when the new hospital is operational. (The portion of Don Jail Roadway that meets with Gerrard St. is slated to become part of hospital property.) The name will be considered at Toronto and East York Community Council on Jan. 23 before returning to city council for a final vote in February.

Layton’s widow, NDP MP and possible Toronto mayoral contender Olivia Chow, called the proposal “wonderful.”

“Jack worked closely with Bridgepoint Health and we’re very honoured that the city would consider doing that,” she said.

Councillor Paula Fletcher, who introduced the idea in November, said the location in Layton’s beloved riding is important, close to east Chinatown, where he was a “hero.”

Fletcher said Jack Layton Way, like its namesake, would hold together “all kinds of important things,” including a hospice for children, the new Bridgepoint Hospital, a new park, and the Don River, “for which he was a tireless champion for cleaning it up.”

Chow said Layton, who represented the neighbourhood as an MP, was closely involved in efforts to expand and redevelop the former Riverdale Hospital into the Bridgepoint campus, for treatment of patients with chronic disease and disabilities.

When he died, Bridgepoint Hospital issued a statement, noting the NDP leader’s importance:

“After Riverdale became Bridgepoint Hospital, and we first began to assemble land, develop master plans, and dream our new state-of-the-art facility into being, he became an ardent supporter of our work with the City of Toronto. He was a passionate advocate for those in need, an inspiring presence, and a dear friend. He was also a force of nature.”

“Hopefully people that use that street would think, maybe, about Jack and about having a national home care program so seniors can stay in their homes longer,” Chow said.

When it comes to naming streets, city policy dictates that priority goes to honouring those who have made a “sustained and lasting contribution” to the community or city. Streets are typically named after deceased people, with names of the living “only in exceptional circumstances.” The Toronto Island Ferry Terminal was renamed in Layton’s honour last year.

Fletcher expects council to approve the renaming in February, calling the vote a formality.

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“The Jack Layton way is to work in the community to make great things happen,” she said. “No matter who you were, or what political stripe, Jack worked with everybody. This is what we’re trying to do in this corner,” she said.

With files from David Rider

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