ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Mount Cashel Road is not a long street, but there’s no shortage of opinions among residents about whether its name should stay or go.
As reported Wednesday in The Telegram, a Mount Cashel abuse victim from the 1950s expressed a wish to see the street’s name change, due to its connection to the infamous boys’ orphanage, where numerous residents were physically and sexually abused by some Christian Brothers — a horrific situation that went on for decades until being publicly exposed in the late 1980s.
Before the rainstorm began Wednesday, The Telegram spoke to the residents of about 60-70 per cent of the homes on the street, which runs from New Cove Road to Torbay Road, directly across from the site of the orphanage, which was demolished in 1992 and eventually replaced with a Sobeys supermarket, a Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. outlet and a housing development below the parking lot. That area has been renamed Howley Estates.
Trish Mulrooney grew up on nearby Laughlin Crescent before moving to Mount Cashel Road, where she’s been a longtime resident.
“Mount Cashel Road has been here as long as I can remember,” she said, acknowledging the history that residents share as a neighbourhood.
She doesn’t want to see the name changed.
“I feel bad about what happened at Mount Cashel (orphanage), but nothing is going to change it. … We need to do what we can to help the survivors”
“It’s a good story,” Julia Halfyard said when asked her opinion on a name change.
She has lived on the street for about eight years.
“I’ve been thinking that for years and had discussions of how to go about it. When I tell people in the rest of Canada the street name, people cringe,” Halfyard said.
“Oh my God, I am more than in favour. … If someone were to pursue (a name change) I am getting on that bandwagon. … This has punch.”
“I’ve been thinking that for years and had discussions of how to go about it. When I tell people in the rest of Canada the street name, people cringe." — Julia Halfyard
Her father, Fred Halyard, lives further down the street and the name doesn’t have the same connotation for him, as he is from out of town. But he knows the horrific Mount Cashel story, and understands anyone with a strong desire to see the name wiped out.
“I have no objections to changing the name,” he said. “I would go along with it.”
Derm Harding pointed out a number of houses on the street that were built by relatives who migrated from the original Gooseberry Lane farmland.
He can remember Joey Smallwood visiting the former family home as the then premier set sights on the location for Confederation Building. The former homesteads sat along the open space across from the legislature before residents were relocated as the province took over the land.
The chosen new home for many of the extended family was Mount Cashel Road, including Harding’s parents, who built their bungalow in 1959. He eventually bought back the house he grew up in.
He understands that the sexual and physical abuse victims of Mount Cashel don’t want to be reminded, but he doesn’t see what a street name change would achieve.
“Mount Cashel Road, to us, has emotional attachment,” he said.
“To me it has been part of my life for 70 years. I don’t think they should change it because of that (orphanage scandal). It’s a terrible thing what happened over there, for sure. It was disgraceful.”
“Mount Cashel Road, to us, has emotional attachment. Yo me it has been part of my life for 70 years. I don’t think they should change it because of that (orphanage scandal, although) it’s a terrible thing what happened over there, for sure. It was disgraceful.” — Derm Harding
Up the street, Linda Hibbs also has a family connection to the old Gooseberry Lane farmland families who settled on Mount Cashel Road.
Her grandmother and two friends petitioned and got the Mount Cashel Road name designated, she said. Unaware of the dark goings on, they held bake sales and garden parties to aid the orphanage coffers, thinking at the time it was a good place for the boys.
Hibbs was upset when she read the story in Wednesday’s Telegram. Like Harding, the street name to her is not about the orphanage legacy, but is tied to the residents’ own history there.
“I am not saying it didn’t go on. It’s disgusting what happened,” said Hibbs of the abuse.
As a student at Mary Queen of Peace, she would take gym class at the orphanage and swim in the pool there.
She said the facility should have been repurposed instead of being torn down.
Christopher Rogers only arrived on the street in March after relocating from Toronto. He knows the story of the Mount Cashel atrocities and sympathizes with the victims.
“I would support them if it came to it,” he said of any potential name change.
Kara Press said she and her husband Adam were dating when he bought the house on Mount Cashel Road.
“It wasn’t long enough to object,” she said.
The young family has lived there now 10 years and like the neighbourhood.
But she’s also been interested in pursuing a name change.
“This would bring me a lot of joy,” she said.
“I can’t believe they even left it in place (after the scandal came to light). … Nobody would want to be associated with it.”
Adam said the street is often mistakenly called Mount Castle by others on paperwork.
June LeMessurier has lived on Mount Cashel Road for 39 years.
Initially, she had no idea about the abuse taking place in the orphanage — until the scandal broke. She recalled buying raffle tickets on Water Street to support the place.
“If I had known, I would have gone down and beat the shit out of them,” she said of abusive Christian Brothers.
After the Hughes Inquiry in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a move to change the street name, she said.
Her suggestion was Tiffany Road, a nod to adjacent Tiffany Lane. She said the suggestion was rejected because it was contended it would confuse the fire and police departments. But she said there’s now a Tiffany Village, with no issue.
“That was a crock. … I was outnumbered.” she said, adding that when the building went down, so should the name of the street.
Myra Power is willing to go with the flow, but suggested the name might be retained to ensure that the lessons of the scandal are never forgotten.
Glenn Byrne bought a house on Mount Cashel Road last fall, liking the area for its older character homes.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to changing it,” he said. “I understand why someone would want to have it changed.”
Two residents didn’t want to reveal their names.
“I am not in favour of it,” said one man, adding he doesn’t see the point of changing street names based on infamous history, citing the example of British colonialists across Canada with streets named for them.
“Where does it stop? I don’t see what it accomplishes.”
Another longtime resident said he doesn’t have a strong opinion either way, but would prefer if the name was retained.
After Wednesday’s story, a conversation was also taking place on Twitter, with suggestions for renaming the street to honour notable people such as the late community and anti-violence advocate Susan Shriner, as well as Health Minister Dr. John Haggie and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.
St. John’s Coun. Maggie Burton tweeted that she liked the suggestion in Wednesday’s Telegram story, in which the survivor of abuse at the orphanage in the 1950s said the street be renamed for a Mount Cashel survivor, to redirect the focus from “Mount Cashel.”
Twitter: @BarbSweetTweets