Windsor City Council is being asked to correct the spelling of Matchette Road.
A report going to Monday afternoon's meeting recommends the Council approve correcting the spelling of Matchette Road to Matchett Road, in honour of Alfred Matchett for whom the road was originally named.
The correction involves dropping the letter 'e' at the end of the current spelling, a move that would cost $6,580 to to update all signage.
Canada Post has informed the City that there would be no cost on their part associated with changing the spelling of Matchette Road, as the old spelling would be included as a valid alternative in their addressing database.
Ward 1 Councillor Fred Francis says changing the sign is no big deal, but there is one issue he wants to confirm for the people living on Matchette.
"I don't want them to have to change their licenses, and have to go through all this hoopla to change everything that they need to change, just because the name of the street has changed over," he says. "As long as we can get that confirmed, so long as we can understand that we can make that change relatively easily cost wise and it doesn't effect those living on the street, I have no problem with it."
The change is being considered following a request by Allan Matchett, the great-great grandson of Alfred Matchett, who first brought the issue to the City’s attention in October 2011 and resurfaced again in 2021.
Part of Matchette Road stretches into the Town of LaSalle, but Francis notes that will be up to LaSalle on whether they want to follow suit with Windsor or stay as is.
According to his obituary article published in the Windsor Evening Record on Dec. 10, 1913, Matchette Road was named after Alfred Matchett, who was born in Ontario in 1844. He was a farmer, early pioneer of Essex County, and Canadian veteran of the Fenian Raids on Canada in 1866 after the United States Civil War.
He owned a number of properties in Sandwich West in the mid-1800s.
Windsor City Council meets at 4:30 p.m. on July 11.
With files from Rob Hindi