Victoria considers changing name of Trutch Street

Victoria city council will vote tomorrow on a staff recommendation to rename a Fairfield street over the namesake’s history of oppressing and displacing Indigenous people in B.C.

Trutch Street was named after Joseph Trutch. He served as the province’s first lieutenant-governor and as chief commissioner of lands and works, which he used to dramatically reduce the size of Indigenous reserves. His racist views of B.C.’s Indigenous population are also well documented.

Today there are 116 addresses registered to the two-block roadway. The city says it received 31 responses last summer on the proposed name change – with 21 responses in support. Eight respondents also supported changing the street’s name, but not to the one being proposed.

Victoria’s mayor says the new name was chosen in consultation with the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, which have suggested the name Su’it, which is Lekwungen for "truth."

"I think it’s a great start in reconciliation," says neighbourhood resident Kimberly Diebolt.

If the name change gets approved by council, the city’s mayor says it will be symbolic.

It was originally a community petition that brought the matter forward, not a request from the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations – although Helps says the nations are still in support of the change.

"For them, changing street names is not the highest priority in terms of reconciliation," said Helps. "Jobs for their kids, housing for their families and the future is really high priority."

She says the two First Nations would guide a renaming ceremony for the street, which could come a couple months after any vote in favour.