Mohammed Adam: It boggles the mind that in Canada’s capital, of all places, Donald Trump would be honoured with a street name.
The real point about Trump Avenue in Ottawa is not whether the name should be changed to a different one, but how, after so many years, a street in Canada’s capital remains named after a man who is committed to destroying the country.
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We name landmarks and streets after venerable people or high achievers who have left a mark on the city or society. Trump is none of those to Canadians. In fact, he has devoted a good part of his presidency to destroying Canada. He has insulted us as a people and as a country. He has waged a trade war against us non-stop, and we know the impact of his tariffs on our industries, our workers and economy. He has threatened our sovereignty, calling Canada the 51st state. And he aims to achieve his goal through economic strangulation. Decapitate our industries sector by sector and bring us to our knees. That’s what drives him. So, it boggles the mind that in Canada’s capital, of all places, Trump would be honoured with a street name. It makes you wonder whether we have developed a version of Stockholm syndrome that makes us love a man sworn to destroying us.
Of course, some of us may have some affection for Trump, and that’s fine. After all we live in a free society where people make their own choices. But those who like Trump and want to honour him can name their children after him. Or their pets. But they should leave the rest of us out of it.
The controversy over Trump Avenue in Ottawa’s west-end Central Park neighbourhood erupted once again after area councillor Riley Brockington said the name has become an embarrassment, which it really is. And he has vowed to take steps to have it changed.
The first attempt in 2021 to change the name failed after an inconclusive neighbourhood vote. Of the 62 households, 21 voted for a name change, with the same number against. Twenty households did not vote. City rules require a majority in a neighbourhood before a street name can be changed, and failing that, the name remained.
Built in the late 1990s and early 2000s on former Experimental Farm land, Central Park has a love for New York City-themed streets. Names such as Staten Way, Manhattan Crescent and Gotham Private, adorn the neighbourhood, and inevitably, Trump, a well-known real estate magnate in New York City at the time, got a street named after him. Now, the name will not stand.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says residents who live on the street must be consulted on the name change, but “if it were up to me, there would be nothing named after Donald Trump in Ottawa.” So, let’s stop the talking and start the consultation. It would be surprising if anyone in the neighbourhood resists the name change. But we should be careful not to fall into the trap of using the opportunity to mock or troll Trump. CNN and other news organizations have reported that among the names being mooted are Obama Avenue, Pelosi Avenue, and Taco Avenue, which is the acronym for Trump Always Chickens Out, a reference to his many flip flops on important policy decisions.
The city should not do anything that might rile Trump or be seen as disrespectful, tempting as that might be. We should not play his game of mockery and insults. We should respect the office, even if the man himself doesn’t command it. Council should open discussions with the residents in the shortest possible time, and come up with an appropriate replacement name. We’ve waited too long to fix this national embarrassment.
Mohammed Adam is an Ottawa journalist and commentator. Reach him at nylamiles48@gmail.com
