Trutch Avenue in Chilliwack will be getting a new street name that doesn含羞草研究社檛 glorify a racist figure from B.C.含羞草研究社檚 colonial past.

City of Chilliwack will be removing street-name recognition for Joseph W. Trutch, who became the province含羞草研究社檚 first lieutenant-governor in 1871.

Trutch含羞草研究社檚 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 Chiefs含羞草研究社� Council.

The staff report explained the move is in keeping with a 含羞草研究社渟trategic goal含羞草研究社� of council 含羞草研究社渢o support truth and reconciliation through building relationships of mutual respect and understanding含羞草研究社� with local First Nations.

含羞草研究社淎s part of this commitment, the City (of Chilliwack) currently has the opportunity to review and rename a street name.含羞草研究社�

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

Chief Jimmie含羞草研究社檚 request to Chilliwack council mentioned 含羞草研究社渢he harm含羞草研究社� 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: 含羞草研究社淚 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.含羞草研究社�

Trutch became chief commissioner of lands and works in 1864, and helped smooth B.C.含羞草研究社檚 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: 含羞草研究社淭he Indians really have no right to the lands they claim, nor are they of any actual value or utility to them,含羞草研究社� according to research conducted by Graham MacDonnell, of Fraser Valley Heritage Research Services.

That same year, according to MacDonnell含羞草研究社檚 research, Trutch 含羞草研究社渞efused to recognize the legitimacy of the reserves含羞草研究社� 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 Trutch含羞草研究社檚 actions on the land question, they didn含羞草研究社檛 think he 含羞草研究社渄eserved含羞草研究社� the recognition of a street name.

Coun. Jason Lum described the effort as 含羞草研究社渁n opportunity to educate ourselves含羞草研究社� on why City of Chilliwack would go so far as to take the unusual step of renaming a street.

含羞草研究社淚 hope the residents of that street 含羞草研究社� and there含羞草研究社檚 only a few of them 含羞草研究社� understand the process we含羞草研究社檙e following and why,含羞草研究社� said Coun. Bud Mercer during the council discussion. 含羞草研究社淚 hope they embrace this initiative for what it is, which is doing exactly the right thing.含羞草研究社�

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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