Love it or hate it, Montrealers have until later Monday to tell a provincial committee what they think of a plan to rename Parc Avenue — an issue that has stoked emotions even on deadline day.

Quebec's Toponymy Commission has been accepting written submissions arguing for and against a proposal to name the downtown avenue after former premier Robert Bourassa, who died of skin cancer in 1996.

Submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m. ET Monday. They can be e-mailed to the commission's website.

Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay first proposed the name change in mid-October. City council approved it in November.

The commission, which has the final say, is expected to make a ruling as early as Tuesday.

Some Montrealers have fought hard against renaming the downtown avenue.

One of them is Jessica Leduc, who has lived on Parc for nearly seven years. She signed petitions, put up posters and attended rallies.

"I hope that Parc Avenue does stay Parc Avenue," she told CBC News on Monday.

"I know that there's been enough of an uproar that they can't really ignore that the people do not really want a name change, so I hope they take that into consideration."

Many Parc Avenue merchants, those with businesses named after the street, especially, are angry about the proposed name change.

Mary Keramidas, who manages a grocery store, hopes the committee will listen to people in the neighbourhood.

"I hope that they'll just stand back on the committee, listen to what people are saying and basically leave Parc Avenue as Parc Avenue," she told CBC News.

Former Parti Québécois premier Bernard Landry spoke out as well on Monday, against the proposed name change, saying there should have been public discussion on the issue.