Trutch Avenue in Chilliwack will be getting a new street name that doesnsa国际传媒檛 glorify a racist figure from B.C.sa国际传媒檚 colonial past.

City of Chilliwack will be removing street-name recognition for Joseph W. Trutch, who became the provincesa国际传媒檚 first lieutenant-governor in 1871.

Trutchsa国际传媒檚 legacy was demeaning First Nations people, refusing to recognize their rights and title, and effectively displacing them from their traditional lands.

Chilliwack council voted at the June 15 meeting to rename Trutch Avenue with a name of Indigenous significance, after receiving a request from Squiala Chief David Jimmie, president of the St贸l艒 Chiefssa国际传媒� Council.

The staff report explained the move is in keeping with a sa国际传媒渟trategic goalsa国际传媒� of council sa国际传媒渢o support truth and reconciliation through building relationships of mutual respect and understandingsa国际传媒� with local First Nations.

sa国际传媒淎s part of this commitment, the City (of Chilliwack) currently has the opportunity to review and rename a street name.sa国际传媒�

City of Vancouver and City of Victoria have debated similar requests to rename their own streets that carry the name Trutch.

Chief Jimmiesa国际传媒檚 request to Chilliwack council mentioned sa国际传媒渢he harmsa国际传媒� associated with the Chilliwack street name Trutch, which is a small street of 16 properties, off Ashwell Road.

In a letter dated June 23, 1850, on the topic of Indians, from the Joseph Trutch Papers at the UBC Library, Trutch wrote to his wife, Charlotte: sa国际传媒淚 think they are the ugliest and laziest creatures I ever saw and we should as soon think of being afraid of our dogs as of them.sa国际传媒�

Trutch became chief commissioner of lands and works in 1864, and helped smooth B.C.sa国际传媒檚 entry into confederation in 1871 with the promise of building the Canadian Pacific Railway.

In 1867, Trutch sent a letter to the Acting Colonial Secretary: sa国际传媒淭he Indians really have no right to the lands they claim, nor are they of any actual value or utility to them,sa国际传媒� according to research conducted by Graham MacDonnell, of Fraser Valley Heritage Research Services.

That same year, according to MacDonnellsa国际传媒檚 research, Trutch sa国际传媒渞efused to recognize the legitimacy of the reservessa国际传媒� that had been established by former Lieutenant-Governor James Douglas, and had them re-surveyed, reducing their size by 91 per cent.

Several members of council said this week that given Trutchsa国际传媒檚 actions on the land question, they didnsa国际传媒檛 think he sa国际传媒渄eservedsa国际传媒� the recognition of a street name.

Coun. Jason Lum described the effort as sa国际传媒渁n opportunity to educate ourselvessa国际传媒� on why City of Chilliwack would go so far as to take the unusual step of renaming a street.

sa国际传媒淚 hope the residents of that street sa国际传媒� and theresa国际传媒檚 only a few of them sa国际传媒� understand the process wesa国际传媒檙e following and why,sa国际传媒� said Coun. Bud Mercer during the council discussion. sa国际传媒淚 hope they embrace this initiative for what it is, which is doing exactly the right thing.sa国际传媒�

City officials will be sending letters to residents affected by the street name change, and will be consulting with Chief Jimmie on some suggested names of significance to local Indigenous communities.

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