Ottawa city council will consider another motion to rename Trump Avenue, a residential street named after U.S. President Donald Trump, with a vote likely at the next council meeting, currently scheduled for Sept. 23.
Why It's Back on the Table
River ward Coun. Riley Brockington filed a notice of motion to change the street's name, saying Trump does not deserve the honour given his repeated threats to Canada. "I'm embarrassed that there is a street in River Ward called Trump Avenue, and I'm embarrassed that in the nation's capital we have Donald Trump honoured in this respect," Brockington said.
He added that the time for debate has passed. "I think the time has come when you look at the damage and carnage that the president has caused, including with our own country. We're past the point of debating," Brockington said.
A New York Theme in Ottawa
Trump Avenue sits in Ottawa's Central Park neighbourhood, off Merivale Road. It has carried Trump's name for about 25 years as part of a New York City-themed subdivision that also includes streets like Manhattan Crescent and Staten Way.
What Happened Last Time
This isn't the first attempt to change the name. In 2021, the city polled the 62 households on Trump Avenue on whether they wanted a new name. The result came back split evenly: 21 voted yes, 21 voted no, and 20 didn't vote at all. That even split fell short of the 32-vote majority the city required to move ahead, so the renaming process died there.
What's Next
If the current motion passes, Brockington said he would lead a public consultation with residents of the street to choose a replacement name. No new name has been decided yet. Brockington has also indicated he intends to pursue the actual renaming process in the next council term, after Ottawa's Oct. 26 municipal election, rather than acting on it immediately.
The push has been building for weeks. CTV News first reported Brockington's vow to remove Trump's name from the street on Aug. 26, then confirmed on Sept. 9 that council would in fact vote on the motion.
Ottawa's Election Backdrop
The vote comes as Ottawa's municipal campaign is picking up. Election signs became legal again across the city on Sept. 11, marking the official start of the sign-posting window ahead of the Oct. 26 vote, and CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning has been running a weekly panel tracking the mayoral race. ottown's earlier report has more on the sign rules, and ottown's earlier report breaks down where the mayoral candidates stand.
For now, residents on Trump Avenue and anyone following Ottawa's ongoing debate over commemorative street names will be watching to see whether council succeeds where the 2021 household vote fell short.
Sources: CBC News, CTV News Ottawa
