This year marks an auspicious anniversary for Kitchener, Ontario. The city has now had its name for over 100 years [1]. While this might be cause for celebration, this anniversary betrays the story behind its name change from what was once Berlin, to Kitchener back in 1916. When you think of Kitchener, you might think of a mid-sized, tolerant, diverse, and bubbly community. However, most people wouldn’t associate it with intolerance, bigotry, or racism. Surprisingly, the man after whom the city Kitchener was named was convincingly all of the above [2]. Lord Kitchener was a celebrated, albeit controversial war hero, who helped the British colonize parts of Southern Africa but mercilessly rejected nations’ wills for independence from British imperialism. In the Second Boer War, Encyclopedia Britannica describes Lord Kitchener’s brutality as follows: “During the last 18 months of the war, Kitchener combated guerrilla resistance by such methods as burning Boer farms and herding Boer women and children into disease-ridden concentration camps.”[3] In fact, the use of “concentration camps” is first attributed to Lord Kitchener [4] where tens of thousands of victims perished, 80% of whom were children [5]. Had these tactics been employed today, Lord Kitchener would surely not receive praise—instead these acts would be considered war crimes or crimes against humanity.

On the other hand, Kitchener is situated on traditional territory belonging to Six Nations, formerly known as the Iroquois. Recently the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has called for actions to bring attention to the historical and continued injustices to Aboriginal peoples across Canada. Given that the name Kitchener was chose by an elite few, none of whom were women, winning by a margin of 81 votes [1], perhaps now is the time to choose a name that reflects Kitchener's true colours. Kitchener strives to be progressive, dynamic, community-oriented and is most definitely caring and responsive in the face of adversity. In the past year, Kitchener and the surrounding counties have welcomed over seven hundred Syrian refugees with open arms [7]. Had the city been run by Kitchener, it’s unlikely that a similar enthusiasm would have been reciprocated. It is for these reasons that I am compelled to ask whether in 2016, the name Kitchener still suits our city. Perhaps it is time for the city council to reconsider our name to reflect our values, our heritage, and our shared land. Some of the other names on the ballot in 1916 included Keowana and Adanac, names that might better reflect the uniqueness of Kitchener [8].

Please consider passing this petition along to anyone you know who is interested in opening up the debate about the name of our beautiful city. We have the power to make change, and make Kitchener ours again.

[1] Enduring Spirit: The Rejuvenation of Berlin (Ontario), John Allemang, Globe and Mail, Saturday August 27th 2016 Available online: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/enduring-spirit-the-rejuvenation-of-berlin-ontario/article31576065/

[2] Kitchener: Hero and Anti-Hero, by C. Brad Faught

[3] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Horatio-Herbert-Kitchener-1st-Earl-Kitchener

[4]http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/kitchener_lord_horatio.shtml

[5] Herbert Kitchener:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Kitchener

[6] Berlin to Kitchener Name Change:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_to_Kitchener_name_change

[7] Search terms: “Waterloo, “Kitchener”, and “Cambridge” in Map of destination communities and service provider organizations. Ottawa: Government of Canada. Available at <http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/welcome/map.asp>(accessed August 22 2016).

[8]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_to_Kitchener_name_change#/media/File:Berlin-Kitchener-Ontario-referendum-ballot-1916.jpg