Mel Lastman Square

The BBC has just broadcast a radio play that contains an embarrassing Canadian error.

In Harry and Gloria by Katie Hims, Harry is a Canadian soldier awaiting the D-Day landings. He writes a letter to his English lover, Gloria, when the time comes to end their affair. In the meantime Gloria fantasizes about walking arm in arm through the streets of Toronto, including Fourth Avenue and Mel Lastman Square.

He doesn't look that old, does he?

Well I don't know if Toronto contains a Fourth Avenue, but I'm quite certain Mel Lastman Square didn't exist in 1944. Mel Lastman was only 11 years old that year, and no one could have mistaken suburban North York for downtown Toronto at that time anyway.

The English equivalent would be referring to a square in Milton Keynes named after London's mayor Ken Livingstone! Looks like BBC Drama needs to improve its fact checking.