The Township of Russell has officially removed Peter Russell as the honour of it's namesake. As of May 3, 2022, the Township of Russell name honours all "Russells" who would have contributed to our community.

Statement From the Mayor

Dear Residents,

Two years ago, the Township of Russell came face to face with an unexpected reality, and Council decided to keep our name “Russell” but change who our namesake honours. After receiving a letter from the Russell Namesake Rededication Committee last night, Council made good on that promise.

We have officially removed Peter Russell as the honour of our namesake. Council chose that moving forward, rather than honouring one individual, the Township's name honours all "Russells" such as Russell Phair, Keith Russell, and others who would have helped develop our community into the jewel we love today.

Council's decision is not an attempt to erase our history. We acknowledge it and publicly state we are striving to do better. We learn, we adapt, we evolve, and we will create the future we want for ourselves.

I thank the Namesake Rededication Committee and the community for their involvement in this process. I look forward to continued engagement in this area through our Community Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Sincerely,

Pierre Leroux, Mayor

History of Initiative

Council approved to rededicate our Township namesake of "Russell" at the Special Council Meeting of July 6, 2020. This no-cost initiative comes from a motion by Mayor Pierre Leroux, after community debate over the Township’s current namesake, Peter Russell.

The Township of Russell and the Village of Russell were all named in relation to Peter Russell more than 200 years ago. Peter Russell was known to be a slave owner and believed to be an active participant in delaying legislation that would put an end to slavery in this region. The ideals of Peter Russell do not reflect the values of our Township residents and being named after this individual can be hurtful and disrespectful to our residents.

The Township of Russell strives to be a kind-hearted inclusive community, whose people, policies, and community spirit make this an amazing place to live. The Township recognizes the offensive nature of this individual, and agree that we do not share his values.

From February 23 to March 23, 2022, residents were invited to submit their nomination of a new "Russell" namesake, adhering to criteria. Council created a special Russell Namesake Rededication Committee to research, evaluate and verify the namesake submissions received.

At the May 2, 2022 Council Meeting, Council received a letter from the Russell Namesake Rededication Committee on the outcome of submissions and decided to remove Peter Russell as namesake and instead move forward with honouring all "Russells" who would have helped develop our community into the jewel we love today.

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