Ottawa's Trump Avenue, already on its way to a new name, is now missing one of its own signs. On Friday afternoon, the blue-and-white Trump Avenue sign at the corner of Whitestone Drive in the city's Central Park neighbourhood was gone. The other Trump Avenue signs nearby were still standing.
What happened to the sign
The City of Ottawa said it's looking into what happened to the missing sign. Once staff have confirmed its status, the city will decide on next steps, including whether to replace it. The city also reminded residents that street signs are a critical piece of infrastructure for reporting and responding to emergencies, and shouldn't be removed, damaged or taken.
Trump Avenue sits off Merivale Road in Central Park, part of a cluster of streets named after New York City institutions in the late 1990s and early 2000s, back when Donald Trump was known mainly for his real estate ventures rather than politics.
Why the street is being renamed
The motion was brought forward by River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington on September 9, and quickly picked up support from other local officials.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe backed the move, saying he doesn't like the idea of anything named for Donald Trump, given his hostility toward Canada. Brockington was more pointed about it, saying he didn't want to give a platform anymore to the person named on the current street sign, and that the renaming is meant to be a new beginning for the residents of Trump Avenue.
What's next
In the meantime, the existing signs, missing one, remain up while the city sorts out both the vandalism question and the renaming process in parallel.
Earlier this month
The sign's disappearance follows ottown's earlier report on council's vote to start the renaming process, with Brockington expected to lead resident consultations on what the street should be called instead. That story didn't settle on a new name either, leaving Trump Avenue in an odd in-between: legally still Trump Avenue, but with one less sign to prove it and a council mandate already in motion to change that for good.
Sources: Culture Alberta, TIME, Global News
