Whitney Pier street gets new name to recognize Polish, Ukrainian communities

The name of a short, nondescript street in Whitney Pier will soon reflect the historic significance of the communities that border it.

Cape Breton Regional Council hasunanimously approved a request to change Middle Street's name to GaliciaStreet.

Located between the Ukrainian and Polish communities, thenew street name connectstheir shared past.

"It's a name and territory that binds both communities together very appropriate," said Rev.Roman Dusanowskyj, the parish priest of Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church.

The province of Galicia

The idea to change the nameoriginated at meetings with members ofboth communitiesas they planned for next month'sSlavic Heritage Festival.

Tom Urbaniak, a member of St. Mary's Polish Church, said the name Galicia originated in the 13th century, although there weren't any fixed boundaries at that time.

"In 1795, the Commonwealth of Poland disappeared from the map when it was occupied by Austria," said Urbaniak. "Under the Austrian regime, there was a province called Galicia."

The name change made sense on many levels, he said.

2 Middle streets in CBRM

"There are no businesses or houses on this street, it's a short street of a couple of hundred metres," said Urbaniak, adding there is already another Middle Street in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

For Dusanowskyj, the change holds significance in the homage it pays to their many ancestors.

"Ninety-five per centof the Ukrainians that ended up here in Sydney are from Galicia so almost an entire village moved here at one point," he said.

"Itstill remains a middle street in a sense because it joins the two territories," said Dusanowskyj.

The new street name will be unveiled during the upcoming Slavic Heritage Festival.