A motion put forward by Mayor Rob Ford would see the Toronto Islands Ferry Terminal renamed after late politician Jack Layton, who started his career as local city councillor. City council will vote on the motion — which would also see the standard two-year waiting period for the renaming process waived — on June 6. According to the item agenda, the Layton family has been consulted about the proposal, and has given its blessing.

In the days following his death, there was much speculation as to what the city should name in Layton's honour. Interestingly, the Ferry Terminal received very little attention at the time — and yet it seems like an appropriate and fitting gesture. Not only did Layton marry long-time partner Olivia Chow on the Island in 1988, but the terminal itself is an important piece of city property.

It might be idealistic to hope for this, but wouldn't it be great if along with the name change, the terminal itself was improved to reflect some of the local initiatives that Layton pushed for? Better bike parking comes to mind, but there are a host of other ways that the dock area could be improved to make it a better example of useful public space.

What do you think of the proposal?

Photo by Jackman Chiu in the blogTO Flickr pool