Vancouver may soon have its first official street name that uses a different alphabet.If the proposal is approved by city council next week, Trutch St. in Kitsilano will be renamed šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St.It is pronounced "sh-muh-queyem-awsom."The name comes from hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the traditional language of the Musqueam people. While there are no fluent speakers left, the city has expressed hope that the move will be a "landmark moment for hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ revitalization."Trutch St. — which has existed since Vancouver was incorporated as a city in 1886 — was named after British Columbia's first lieutenant governor, Joseph Trutch. According to the city, he was "openly racist and hostile towards First Nation Peoples," having "denied the existence of Indigenous rights, barred First Nations from laying claim to land, and significantly reduced the size of reserve lands.".Under former-mayor Kennedy Stewart, city council passed a motion to rename the street, and asked the Musqueam to choose a replacement. A renaming ceremony was held in 2022 when šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St. was chosen.While šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm will be the legal name used on maps, government databases, and in official city records, the English translation, Musqueamview, will be used in places that do not currently have support for multilingual characters, such as mail.Those who live on the street will have to change the addresses on their documents, and have been asked to use both šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm and Musqueamview to ensure packages arrive.First-responders have raised concerns over the ease with which those in distress will be able to properly pronounce the Musqueam name, prompting city staff to advise that two signs, one legal and one English, be placed on each post.If the plan is approved, sign installation along the street all the way from Point Grey Rd. to West 18th Ave. will commence on June 20.
Vancouver may soon have its first official street name that uses a different alphabet.If the proposal is approved by city council next week, Trutch St. in Kitsilano will be renamed šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St.It is pronounced "sh-muh-queyem-awsom."The name comes from hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the traditional language of the Musqueam people. While there are no fluent speakers left, the city has expressed hope that the move will be a "landmark moment for hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ revitalization."Trutch St. — which has existed since Vancouver was incorporated as a city in 1886 — was named after British Columbia's first lieutenant governor, Joseph Trutch. According to the city, he was "openly racist and hostile towards First Nation Peoples," having "denied the existence of Indigenous rights, barred First Nations from laying claim to land, and significantly reduced the size of reserve lands.".Under former-mayor Kennedy Stewart, city council passed a motion to rename the street, and asked the Musqueam to choose a replacement. A renaming ceremony was held in 2022 when šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St. was chosen.While šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm will be the legal name used on maps, government databases, and in official city records, the English translation, Musqueamview, will be used in places that do not currently have support for multilingual characters, such as mail.Those who live on the street will have to change the addresses on their documents, and have been asked to use both šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm and Musqueamview to ensure packages arrive.First-responders have raised concerns over the ease with which those in distress will be able to properly pronounce the Musqueam name, prompting city staff to advise that two signs, one legal and one English, be placed on each post.If the plan is approved, sign installation along the street all the way from Point Grey Rd. to West 18th Ave. will commence on June 20.
