4 years after the initial vote, the City of Vancouver has officially renamed a West Side street as part of its ongoing commitment to truth and reconciliation.
What came first as a request from the Musqueam Nation has now become reality as Trutch Street is being renamed into the first street to use a non-English alphabet.
A REQUEST
July 2021 saw the city council vote to rename Trutch Street, a place named after Joseph Trutch– B.C.’s first governor general. The request came from xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, the Musqueam Nation, as Vancouver resides on their traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory. This includes not only Musqueam land, but also the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Being regarded as both racist and hostile towards Indigenous peoples, the City of Vancouver has acknowledged that Trutch’s discrimination is still felt today in their rippling, negative effects through belief and policy.
A NEW NAME
The City of Vancouver has finally acted on their vote by officially renaming Trutch Street to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, with the English translation being Musqueamview Street. The name was originally gifted by Musqueam to the city in 2022 at a traditional renaming ceremony.
The City of Vancouver website notes that “the legal name will be used in official City records, maps, and some government databases. The English translation will be used where the legal name cannot currently be displayed, such as mail delivery systems.”
“Renaming the street is an important act of reconciliation,” says the City, and that they “ha[ve] been working closely with Musqueam to ensure this work is done with respect, collaboration, and care.”
Wondering how to pronounce šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street? The City of Vancouver has a handy audio clip to help you learn how to say it, as well as plenty of information to go along with it.
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