Latest news with #JosephTrutch
National Post
10 hours ago
- General
- National Post
Jamie Sarkonak: Vancouver renaming street 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm' puts people at risk
The City of Vancouver describes its new name for Trutch Street, 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street,' as a gift, but it's more like a curse. Article content On Tuesday, city council unanimously voted for the change, condemning 100 or so residents to a lifetime of addressarial grief. Joining them in suffering will be countless drivers who make their way down the route, delivering, visiting and otherwise trying to get from A to B. Article content Article content The new name means 'Musqueamview' in Musqueam, but the city itself admits that nobody is likely to be able to read it in its letter-salad form: 'With no fluent speakers left, this street name is a landmark moment for hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ revitalization,' notes a webpage about the change. (That word beginning in 'h' refers to the Musqueam's traditional language.) It will replace the name of Joseph Trutch (1826-1904), B.C.'s first Lieutenant Governor who, among other things, reduced the sizes of Indigenous reserves and denied the existence of some earlier treaties. Article content Article content That remark by the city contained an important admission: the purpose of changing the name of pronounceable Trutch Street into something indecipherable at 40 km/h is political. The goal is to involve the local population in a moral exercise at the cost of their comfort and safety. Indeed, not even the Musqueam (who insisted on this visual obstacle course, according to Deputy City Manager Armin Amrolia) are going to be capable of reading it. Beyond signalling solidarity against colonialism, impeding the passage of Vancouverites and offending the local Squamish Nation, it's a functionally useless sign. Article content Article content Emergency services have already expressed their concerns that the new name will get in the way of saving lives, largely because 911 callers might not be able to pronounce the name. Most people haven't learned linguistics to the point where they can pronounce Indigenous mainstays like the theta symbol, the tiny W, the 7 and the triangle. 'Help, I'm at Sixwomkeymasem Street' is the most we can reasonably expect from people. Article content Article content To address these concerns, the city has suggested a second set of unofficial signs that read 'Musqueamview St.' (though it's unclear whether that solution has been finalized). Emergency mapping systems will use the unofficial English name, but it won't appear in the bylaw, which will use the official name instead. Licenses will have to be redone, as will insurance and registration slips. Then, there are land titles, bank addresses, credit cards, etc. Article content Anyone sending or receiving mail by Canada Post is asked to write both official and unofficial street names if possible, but to use English if only one line is available (work is being done to accept these new letters, but 'most non-English lettering is not currently recognized' our letter service told me in an email this week). Other internal and external address and map systems — such as transit or B.C.'s insurance corporation — might be unable to digest these characters.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver's Trutch Street is now šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street. Not everyone is happy
A round of applause erupted Tuesday in the gallery of Vancouver city council chambers, after the city officially adopted its first street name in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the language of the Musqueam First Nation. But while the council vote on this first-of-its-kind change was unanimous, the sentiment outside of city hall was not. The Kitsilano road formerly known as Trutch Street is now legally šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, a name given to the city by the Musqueam First Nation. By Tuesday afternoon, the new name was showing up on Google maps, and new street signs are set to be unveiled within days. The city called the change 'a landmark moment' that will weave 'the display of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ into the public fabric of city life.' A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. For years, the Musqueam First Nation has called for removing the name of B.C.'s first lieutenant-governor, Joseph Trutch, from the street as a way to acknowledge the colonial politician's racist legacy and reduce the prominence of his name. The change stemmed from a vote by Vancouver's previous council in 2021. Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow spoke at council Tuesday, and thanked city staff for what he called 'reconciliation in action.' Some residents worry about practical implications of this change. And at least one other local First Nation is unhappy about the process. On Monday, the council of the Squamish First Nation sent a letter to Vancouver's mayor and council, urging them to withdraw the renaming proposal at the last minute. While Squamish council supported removing Trutch's name, they wrote, they were 'disappointed with the lack of proper consultation with the Squamish Nation on this project' and oppose the chosen name of šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street. 'It is imperative that the city engage with the Squamish Nation on changes happening on our territory. The street in question is next to our ancestral village of Sen̓áḵw,' the Squamish council wrote. 'Proceeding with this name change in collaboration solely with Musqueam disregards the well-established and enduring connection the Squamish Nation has to this area.' Council also heard Tuesday from some of the people living in the roughly 100 addresses impacted by the change. Resident Gail Langton said she and her neighbours are 'in full agreement with getting rid of the Trutch name, given its terrible history,' and they support the name that they long believed was coming: 'Musqueamview,' spelled using the Latin alphabet. The people with the affected addresses were surprised last week, Langton said, to read in The Vancouver Sun that 'the legal name of the street will be solely šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street,' in keeping with the Musqueam Nation's wishes. Langton is nervous about real-world implications of making šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm the street's sole legal name, because many people can't pronounce it, and it can't be spelled by many systems, including Canada Post and Service Canada. The city has said that while šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm is the legal name, the English name of Musqueamview can 'be used while systems work to integrate multilingual characters.' It seems likely that will be the variation that most people speak and write for the foreseeable future. The city said it consulted with emergency service providers about the changer, and proposes to address safety concerns by installing two street signs on each post: one with 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm' and another with 'Musqueamview.' Langton worries that if someone used 'Musqueamview' in a legal document — like a will or a real estate transaction — it could be challenged or invalidated. She worries she might not be able to shop online or receive the delivery of packages. She hopes that other systems will accept 'Musqueamview' and these problems won't materialize. But she worries. Langton thinks it's a good thing, though, that the whole episode is teaching more Vancouverites about the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language, and promoting dialogue. People can visit musqueamview to learn more about the renaming and hear the correct pronunciation of šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm. Trying something new is often difficult. Several municipal staff members could be heard Tuesday chatting inside city hall about how the new street name would work in practice. There seem to still be some unanswered questions. Michelle Bryant-Gravelle, Vancouver's senior director of Indigenous relations, commented during Tuesday's meeting that city staff learned a lot throughout this process. 'Any time you do something for the first time, it's a process,' she said. dfumano@
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Vancouver's Trutch Street to officially change to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm
Vancouver City Council is set to vote on Tuesday on adopting a new Musqueam name for Trutch Street in Kitsilano. The street is named after Joseph Trutch, B.C.'s first lieutenant-governor whose policies inflicted harm on First Nations people. City councillors asked the Musqueam Indian Band to choose a replacement after voting to rename the street in 2021. The Nation gifted the name šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm, which is Musqueamview in the Musqueam Indian Band's hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. 1:58 Vandals put 'Truth' in Trutch Street ahead of official name change Trutch Street runs between 18th and 1st Avenues on the city's west side in the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam people. Story continues below advertisement Trutch, who arrived in the province in 1859 and became B.C.'s chief commissioner of land and works in the 1860s, was considered an extreme racist. 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 According to the Musqueam Indian Band, Trutch was openly hostile to First Nations, denied the existence of Aboriginal rights, and did not recognize previously established Indian Reserves, resulting in reserves shrinking throughout the province. The Musqueamview name will debut on the street on June 20.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Welcome to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street: Vancouver's newest street name is also its first using alphabet other than English
Vancouver's newest street name is set to be the city's first officially named in an alphabet other than English: šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street. The new name, which comes from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language of the Musqueam First Nation, will replace Trutch Street on Vancouver's West Side if city council approves a staff report at a meeting next week. The report says the Musqueam First Nation has long advocated for removing the name of B.C.'s first lieutenant-governor, Joseph Trutch, from the street as a way to 'acknowledge Trutch's racist legacy, reduce the prominence of his name, and advance reconciliation efforts.' Trutch denied the existence of Inidegnous rights and reduced the size of reserve lands, the city website says, and the politician is now 'acknowledged as being openly racist and hostile to First Nation Peoples.' In July 2021, Vancouver's then-mayor Kennedy Stewart proposed removing the Trutch name and choosing another picked by the Musqueam chief and council, a move that was unanimously supported by council. In September 2022, the Musqueam Nation, or xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, provided the name 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street,' which translated into English as 'Musqueamview Street.' Some Vancouver neighbourhoods, including Chinatown and the Punjabi Market, have street signs featuring other languages along with the official street name, such as Pender or Main Street. The difference in the new proposal would be that šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm will be the street's sole official name. 'In accordance with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm wishes, the legal name of the street will be solely šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, making this Vancouver's first street named in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓,' the city report says. 'With no fluent speakers left, this change is a landmark moment for the revitalization of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm language, weaving the display of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ into the public fabric of city life.' Because this is the first Vancouver street named in an alphabet other than English, the city requested input from several entities, including the city's legal department, Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, B.C. Emergency Health Services, and others. Emergency service providers raised concerns about 'way-finding and ease of pronunciation for callers in distress on the street,' the report states. To address these concerns, city staff recommended posting two street signs on each post along the street, one with 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St.' and another below with 'Musqueamview St.' In 2022, the City of Victoria also changed all of its Trutch Street signs to Su'it Street, which means 'truth' for the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. If council approves the staff report next week, the new šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street signs are scheduled to be officially revealed at an event on June 20 at St. James Community Square. dfumano@ Trutch Street signs remain in Vancouver almost four years after decolonization vote Vancouver and Victoria councils to consider renaming Trutch Street in their cities
Vancouver Sun
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Welcome to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street: Vancouver's newest street name is also its first using alphabet other than English
Vancouver's newest street name is set to be the city's first officially named in an alphabet other than English: šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street. The new name, which comes from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language of the Musqueam First Nation, will replace Trutch Street on Vancouver's West Side if city council approves a staff report at a meeting next week. The report says the Musqueam First Nation has long advocated for removing the name of B.C.'s first lieutenant-governor, Joseph Trutch, from the street as a way to 'acknowledge Trutch's racist legacy, reduce the prominence of his name, and advance reconciliation efforts.' Trutch denied the existence of Inidegnous rights and reduced the size of reserve lands, the city website says, and the politician is now 'acknowledged as being openly racist and hostile to First Nation Peoples.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In July 2021, Vancouver's then-mayor Kennedy Stewart proposed removing the Trutch name and choosing another picked by the Musqueam chief and council, a move that was unanimously supported by council. In September 2022, the Musqueam Nation, or xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, provided the name ' šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street ,' which translated into English as 'Musqueamview Street.' Some Vancouver neighbourhoods, including Chinatown and the Punjabi Market, have street signs featuring other languages along with the official street name, such as Pender or Main Street. The difference in the new proposal would be that šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm will be the street's sole official name. 'In accordance with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm wishes, the legal name of the street will be solely šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, making this Vancouver's first street named in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓,' the city report says. 'With no fluent speakers left, this change is a landmark moment for the revitalization of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm language, weaving the display of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ into the public fabric of city life.' Because this is the first Vancouver street named in an alphabet other than English, the city requested input from several entities, including the city's legal department, Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, B.C. Emergency Health Services, and others. Emergency service providers raised concerns about 'way-finding and ease of pronunciation for callers in distress on the street,' the report states. To address these concerns, city staff recommended posting two street signs on each post along the street, one with 'šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St.' and another below with 'Musqueamview St.' In 2022, the City of Victoria also changed all of its Trutch Street signs to Su'it Street, which means 'truth' for the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. If council approves the staff report next week, the new šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street signs are scheduled to be officially revealed at an event on June 20 at St. James Community Square. dfumano@
