Renaming Trutch Street to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street (Musqueamview Street)

After the renaming ceremony, a considerable amount of work was still needed before the street could be officially renamed by the City.

Language is an essential part of culture and identity and it connects people to land and place. šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street is Vancouver’s first street named in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, Musqueam’s traditional language. With no fluent speakers left, this street name is a landmark moment for hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ revitalization, but required time and significant relationship building to ensure the work was done with respect, collaboration, and care.  

Supporting hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ to be heard and seen throughout Musqueam territory is a powerful tool for reconciliation and rights recognition. Weaving the language further into the public fabric of city life and removing the memorializing of Joseph Trutch is one more step the City is taking in its ongoing commitment to truth and reconciliation. 

Trutch Street has existed since at least the incorporation of Vancouver in 1886. The street is named after Joseph Trutch, an early colonial politician and BC’s first Lieutenant Governor. He directly shaped Indigenous relations and policy in BC for over 25 years, beginning before BC joined Confederation in 1871.

Trutch is acknowledged as being openly racist and hostile towards First Nation Peoples. He denied the existence of Indigenous rights, barred First Nations from laying claim to land, and significantly reduced the size of reserve lands. The negative effects of his discriminatory beliefs and policies are still felt today.

Because of this legacy, Musqueam has long called on the City to rename the street. In 2021, City Council passed a motion to rename Trutch Street and asked Musqueam to choose the new name. On September 30, 2022, Musqueam gifted the City of Vancouver with the new name, šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, at a renaming ceremony, held according to traditional Musqueam customs and law.

As part of the City’s ongoing commitment to truth and reconciliation, Trutch Street will be renamed šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street on June 17, 2025. Renaming the street is an important act of reconciliation, and the City has been working closely with Musqueam to ensure this work is done with respect, collaboration, and care.

Provide your new address to all your contacts to ensure you continue receiving mail and packages. Whenever possible, use both the legal and English street names.  

J Jones
4110 šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St
4110 Musqueamview St
Vancouver BC V6N 4C8

If only one line is available for addressing, Canada Post has advised that the English name is used while their systems work to integrate multilingual characters:  

J Jones
4110 Musqueamview St
Vancouver BC V6N 4C8

Canada Post forwarding

To support the transition, Canada Post is offering one year of free mail forwarding for affected residents and will continue delivering mail addressed to your old address until July 21, 2026. 

This will ensure that none of your mail or parcels are misdelivered or returned to sender while you transition to your new mailing address. No action is required to enable the forwarding. 

Important note Some organizations that use Canada Post’s address data may require some time to update their systems with your new mailing address. This means that it may take several weeks before these organizations will be able to recognize your new mailing address and allow you to update it with them.

We anticipate that all systems will be fully updated in the coming months. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this period. 

To contact Canada Post with any questions, phone 1-866-607-6301. 

You will need to update your address with ICBC, including your driver’s licence or BCID, vehicle insurance, and vehicle registration. Complete all updates within 10 days of the name change, no later than June 27, 2025. 

To update your driver’s license or BCID you will need to contact ICBC online External website, opens in new tab or go to any ICBC driver licensing office. 

To update your vehicle insurance and registration, you must visit an ICBC agent’s office in person, as you will need to sign for this change and update all plates. You are encouraged to bring your Owner’s Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence (APV250) for each of your vehicles to assist the agent in this transaction. You will need to have updated documents to carry in your vehicle. 

To contact ICBC with any questions, phone 1-800-910-4222 or visit icbc.com External website, opens in new tab.

Street signs will be installed on June 20, 2025.

There may be some early morning noise related to installation around 10th Avenue and šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street as the work begins.