Vancouver man says institutions unable to recognize new Indigenous street name
He has lived on the now formerly-named Trutch Street for 40 years, which now bears the name šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street (pronounced sh-MUS-quee-um-AW-sum), which translates to Musqueamview in English.
Signposts bear the English name below the official Musqueam name, which is written in the North American Phonetic Alphabet.
Gardiner said he has no issue with the name change and it was not a surprise, but told Global News that when he tried to change his address to the legal Musqueam spelling — šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm — both of his banks told him they have no capacity, nor plans, to be able to recognize the official spelling.
'I think it was very unfair because I think they should have consulted all the stakeholders and that would include the City of Vancouver itself, the province of B.C., at least all the banks, whole bunch of what they call stakeholders, and they left that job to the residents of Trutch Street, former Trutch Street, and that's kind of ridiculous,' Gardiner added.
Story continues below advertisement
'We're not being paid for this.'
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Gardiner said he is also having issues changing his address with his credit cards and MSP.
2:08
Vancouver's Trutch Street officially renamed to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm
Communications strategist Bill Tieleman said the city should have given residents way more than the two weeks' notice that they got.
'They had four years… they voted for this in 2021… and it's 2025 and they haven't done the work yet,' he said.
Global News asked the City of Vancouver if staff sought data about how many Vancouverites are familiar with he North American Phonetic Alphabet but they said they did not have any.
However, they said they are supporting people with questions via e-mail and they had reached out to service providers.
Story continues below advertisement
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said that the name on Google Maps comes up as Musqueamview, so there are alternatives for people to use that for their address change.
'Change is hard,' he said, 'but it's the right change.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
38 minutes ago
- Global News
Stelco owner ‘doesn't give two hoots' about the workers: Ontario Premier Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the head of the company that owns Hamilton-based steel company Stelco 'doesn't give two hoots' about those workers. Lourenco Goncalves, the president and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, has spoken positively about U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel, including doubling them from 25 to 50 per cent. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Earlier this week Goncalves said in a press release that he applauded the U.S. Department of Commerce's move to expand the scope of steel and aluminum tariffs. At a press conference today, Ford said Stelco should find a new owner because the current one does not support its workers. Cleveland-Cliffs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The premier was in Hamilton to announce $70 million worth of funding for training and employment services for workers in industries affected by U.S. tariffs.
Canada News.Net
an hour ago
- Canada News.Net
Swatch pulls global campaign after criticism of ad in Chinese market
SHANGHAI, China: Swiss watchmaker Swatch has apologised and withdrawn a global advertising campaign after images featuring an Asian male model making a "slanted eye" gesture sparked outrage on Chinese social media. The ads, promoting the Swatch Essentials collection, were widely condemned online, with users saying the imagery echoed racist stereotypes about Asian eyes. In a statement posted in both Chinese and English on Weibo, Swatch said it had "taken note of the recent concerns" and removed all related materials worldwide. "We sincerely apologise for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused," the company wrote, posting the same message on Instagram. Swatch Group, which also owns Omega, Longines, and Tissot, did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for additional comment. China is a crucial market for the group, accounting for roughly 27 percent of sales last year across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Swatch has struggled with weaker demand in the region, reporting a 14.6 percent drop in annual revenue to 6.74 billion Swiss francs (US$8.4 billion) in 2024. The company cited "persistently difficult market conditions and weak demand for consumer goods overall" in China as a key drag on results.
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Nearly 20% of Canadian small businesses may close from tariffs, CFIB says
Nearly 20 per cent of Canadian small businesses are at risk of having to shut down in as little as six months as owners grapple with higher costs brought on by tariffs, new data suggests. 'Small businesses don't have a lot of runway left. They are trying their best to absorb the costs, but if nothing changes, they will be forced to make some tough decisions,' said Corinne Pohlmann, executive vice-president at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). 'The worst outcome for Canada in the trade war is a bad deal, but the second-worst outcome is the never-ending uncertainty small business owners have been wrestling with for the past six months.' According to the CFIB, nearly one in five (19 per cent) of small business owners report they won't last more than six months if the tariff status quo remains, and nearly four in 10 (38 per cent) said they would last less than a year. Story continues below advertisement United States President Donald Trump sparked a trade war earlier this year by imposing tariff policies on virtually all countries, including Canada, which also led to counter-tariff measures. Although many goods listed under the current trade agreement, known as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), are exempt from most tariffs, there are still many goods that businesses have to pay more for due to these new tariffs. Other trade tensions between Canada and China have also meant higher costs for some sectors, including the Canadian canola industry. 2:06 Canola farmers brace for China's 'devastating' tariffs One of the ways businesses are staying afloat is by 'absorbing' the higher costs from tariffs, as noted by the Bank of Canada in July following the release of its latest survey of business and consumer sentiments. Story continues below advertisement 'Tariff-related cost increases are also putting upward pressure on firms' expected selling prices,' the Bank of Canada said in its survey summary. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Because customers are sensitive to price increases, many firms are absorbing a portion of these increased costs, compressing their profit margins in an effort to preserve market share.' The data from the CFIB suggests that may not be an option for much longer. 'There is a breaking point, and I think we're coming to that breaking point where some of them (small business owners) are saying, 'I just can't continue to absorb this and stay competitive — it's just becoming too difficult,'' Pohlmann says. 'In the meantime, some are temporarily laying people off because they just don't have the work, or they're just trying to find other ways to address the expenses that are coming their way, and of course many are increasing prices to do that.' 1:07 Retaliatory tariffs should have 'minimum impact' on Canadians, Carney says The federal government will be releasing its fall budget soon, which is expected to include billions in new spending aimed at bolstering the Canadian economy amid the trade war. Story continues below advertisement The focus of these spending promises has been mainly on the housing, industry and energy sectors, but there hasn't been as much clarity on supports specific to small business owners. 'There's many different suggestions we're making to the government on how they can do this. It could be something along the lines of a rebate to many small businesses impacted. Another could be to lower certain taxes even temporarily in order for them to have a bit more to keep in their business for now rather than have to pay to government,' Pohlmann says. 'There's lots of different ways that they could find to help those small businesses potentially keep some of that cash within their business and hopefully help them last a bit longer.'
