Ottawa Renames Street Named After Donald Trump

Officials in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, have voted to rename a street bearing the name of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The decision was made unanimously by the city council on Wednesday, marking a reversal of a previous decision. Trump Avenue is located in Ottawa's Central Park neighborhood, where many streets were named after landmarks, locations, and people associated with New York City.

The move comes less than a month after Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America during his trade dispute with Canada. This action by the former president had sparked criticism and pushback from Canadians, who defended the original name of the lake.

The renaming of Trump Avenue had been a topic of discussion among residents and officials for some time. In an interview shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Ottawa City Councillor Riley Brockington told HuffPost Canada that some residents felt embarrassed by the street's name and had sought to change it. However, Brockington had previously felt it was inappropriate to initiate a name change while Trump was in office, citing concerns about potential "ramifications against Canada."

These fears reportedly lessened with the transition of U.S. presidential power. A previous effort to rename the street in 2021 faced division among residents, according to CBC News, with some concerned about the logistical hassle of changing addresses on official documents. Brockington recently stated that the time had come to address the issue, citing the "damage and carnage that the president has caused."

Brockington has been tasked with working with the approximately 65 households on Trump Avenue to propose a new name. The proposed name will be subject to approval by the city's council next year.