Terry Fox Petition A Success!

I would first like to start by saying thank you to all people in Winnipeg and beyond, for supporting my petition to rename the Perimeter Highway to “Terry Fox Drive.”  Since my petition has reached its goal, I will now inform the Terry Fox Foundation, and if I have their blessing I will proceed to contact the Minister of Highways and Transportation, Steve Ashton, and let him know about the idea, and my petition.

 

However, if the Province of Manitoba denies my request, I will simply have to make alternate plans.  A recent Winnipeg Free Press poll seems to indicate that the majority of Winnipeg residents, while not in favor of renaming the Perimeter Highway, are in favor of naming an existing road in the city after Terry Fox.  The two roads that came to mind were Ravenhurst Street and the future east leg of the Chief Peguis Trail, which will run from Lagimodiere Boulevard to Plessis Road. 

The blogger Cherenkov, who writes the local blog “Anyone Want a Peanut,” makes a great case to rename Fermor Avenue after Fox.  Cherenkov makes a good point, when mentioning there are relatively few homes and businesses along Fermor, and it is technically part of the Trans-Canada Highway, up until it intersects St.Anne's Road.  It is quite conceivable that if Fox had made it to Winnipeg during his run, he would have used Fermor Avenue, as going through the city would have gave him an opportunity to raise more money for cancer research.

I certainly have my work cut out for me, and considering this is a road I have never crossed in my life, if anyone would like to help me in achieving my goal of naming a road after Terry Fox, please message me, as I would love to hear from you.  Meanwhile, I would like to remind everyone that the Terry Fox Run this year is on Sunday, September 15.  If you would like to volunteer and help out, or donate to the Terry Fox Foundation, please visit this link.  Terry Fox always reminded us that “cancer can be beaten.”  Let's help make his goal become a reality.

Terry Fox Drive: Update!

Thank you to all in Winnipeg, and all other parts of Canada, for supporting the idea to name the Perimeter Highway after the late Winnipeg-born philanthropist Terry Fox.  In particular, I would like to thank the owners of local blogs "Anybody want a Peanut" and "West End Dumplings" for their recent blog entries, which encourage me to continue.

Since Friday, I have been subject to media requests from different sources, and to be quite honest, I may be way over my head.  I'm just a simple blue-collar worker, who does not want or need any type of publicity, and I certainly would never want to create the impression that I am making a name for myself, off of Terry Fox's memory.  

I have decided to contact the Terry Fox Foundation, and the Canadian Cancer Society, and ask for their blessing, in regards to this campaign.  I hope and pray they give me the go-ahead to take the campaign to the next level, and hand the petition to City Hall.  This has surpassed my wildest expectations, and I believe it shows that the majority of Winnipeggers would overwhelmingly favor renaming a road, school, community centre, or even a park after the late Terry Fox.

If anyone reading this would like to do more for the Terry Fox Foundation, please click on this link to volunteer, participate, or donate your time, effort, and/or money for a worthwhile cause.  You can also make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, by clicking this link.  Terry Fox ran the Marathon of Hope, because he truly believed "cancer can be beaten."  Let's help make Terry's dream a reality, and support his cause. 

Petition the City of Winnipeg change the name of the Perimeter Highway to Terry Fox Drive.

If you happen to think like I do, you may be tired of the City of Winnipeg naming highways and streets after people on City Council or other bureaucrats. Let's name a highway after a Winnipeg-born hero, and the recipient of the Order of Canada: Terry Fox.  Fox was born in Winnipeg, and spend a significant portion of his childhood in the city, before moving to British Columbia when he was 8 years old.

Despite suffering from Cancer, and having a leg amputated as a result of the disease, Terry Fox had a dream to raise money for cancer research, by running a marathon across Canada. Few people believe his run would ever get off the ground, but he managed to win over the hearts and imagination of many Canadians during the spring, and summer of 1980. 

Sadly, on September 1, 1980, Fox was forced to abandon his run, after learning the cancer had spread to the rest of his body.  He ran 5,373 kilometers, while literally dying, and gave his life to help others know that cancer could be beaten. After his death in 1981, the annual Terry Fox Run was first first held in Canada, and has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over $500 million has been raised in his name.

Please sign my petition  and help give Terry fox the recognition he deserves in his city of birth.  Let's rename the Perimeter Highway to Terry Fox Drive.  You can sign the petition by visiting this link:

Rename the Perimeter Highway to Terry Fox Drive