Mulmur residents tell council to forget name change

Mulmur residents stood up for tradition Saturday when asked if anyone would like to see the municipality change its name to the Town of Mulmur.

During a town hall meeting April 25, Mulmur Township residents were asked to weigh in on the possibility of a name change.

Mayor Paul Mills said the possibility of a new moniker was precipitated by a change in postal routes, which assigned everyone a Mulmur address, and a suggestion from a resident.

The thought being that referring to Mulmur as a town as opposed to a township might give the municipality more clout at the county level, spur economic development and be easier to locate online. Other than some free road signs, staff said there would be not concrete financial benefit to changing the name.

At the time of the gathering, 62 people had submitted comments, with 42 saying they oppose the change. Twelve people were in support and the balance had no opinion.

Of the 80 or so people in attendance, most people stood in opposition to the name change when asked.

Residents spoke in support of preserving Mulmur’s unique rural character, as written into the township’s mission statement, strategic plan and Official Plan.

John Franklin, former Mulmur Township councillor, deputy reeve and Dufferin County councillor and warden, said he was the one who suggested the name change just after the fall election.

“There is no progress without change,” he said. “Perception is everything.”

He said Mulmur is made up of about one-third agricultural land the rest is rural.

“Our bright young people are leaving because there is no opportunity here. It is up to the township to create those opportunities,” said Franklin.