Patrick Lavery
Stanstead Journal (Reprinted with permission)

In 1993, the province and town of Waterville proudly named the stretch of route 143 that runs from the Lennoxville limit to Deacon’s Bridge Route Gilbert Hyatt. Late last year, the town decided to get rid of the name. Beverly and Milton Loomis have been fighting the decision ever since.

In a new twist that can only be called ironic, the couple have taken their case to the Office de la Langue Francaise, the body that is in charge of preserving Quebec history. “Normally, as we’re English, we would stay away from them,” said Bev. But the Office has taken on their complaint and is currently looking into the situation. “We sent them a letter and received one back stating they were on the case,” she said.

The Loomis’s are confused why the town seems so determined to get rid of Gilbert Hyatt. “If you look around the area, you see highways named after all sorts of people and places,” said Bev. “Highway 108 going to North Hatley is the Capleton Road, highway 147 is route Louis St-Laurent. There is a lot of history here.”

The town took down the signs back in December. They have since been replaced with signs displaying the highway number. “That makes no sense,” said Milt. “The highway is already numbered. People know what the highway is.” The town has said that most residents wanted the change and were acting on a request from a business located on the highway. “They sent a letter out to people asking them their opinion,” said Milt. “They didn’t know the history of the name or what it means.”

Milt is a descendant of Gilbert Hyatt, who first brought settlers to this part of the Eastern Townships, founding the township of Ascot. He said that this wasn’t s family issue. “We are interested in preserving the history of the area, and nothing else,” he said.

The Loomis’s first appealed to the Quebec Toponomy commission, who keeps track of the names of roads. “They said that the town couldn’t change the name on a whim,” said Bev. The commission ruled in favour of the Loomis’s, but does not have the power to enforce the decision. “That is when we were told to go to the Office,” said Bev.

The Loomis’s have garnered a lot of support from local residents and even other municipalities. “Our friend Dick Evans went out with a petition and went door-to-door to talk with people,” said Bev. “He explained the significance of the name and Gilbert’s role in settling this area.”

Despite the Toponomy Commission’s decision and the petition, the town still refuses to change the signs back. “It’s pigheadedness,” said Bev. “They’re too proud to admit they made a mistake.”

One reason the town council gave in support of removing Gilbert Hyatt was to make it easier for police officers and emergency vehicles to respond to an incident. “We spoke to an officer who said having Gilbert Hyatt made things a lot easier,” said Bev. “He said that when they got a call for something on route Gilbert Hyatt, they knew exactly where to go.”