Musqueamview Street

Musqueamview Street or šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street (Halkomelem pronunciation: [ʃxʷməθkʷəj̰əmasəm]), formerly known as Trutch Street, is a street in the Greektown area of Vancouver that gained media attention when the city council voted to rename it in 2021. The street was officially renamed on June 16, 2025.^[2][3][4]

šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street

Musqueamview Street
Former name(s)	Trutch Street
Namesake	Musqueam First Nation
Length	1.65 km (1.03 mi)[1]
Location	Kitsilano, Vancouver
Nearest metro station	Olympic Village
Coordinates	49°15′54″N 123°10′33″W
North end	W 1st Avenue
South end	W 18th Avenue
Other
Known for	Name

It is the only road in the city to be named in a non-English alphabet.^[5]

Name

šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm means Musqueamview in the Halkomelem language, the native language of the people of Musqueam.^[6] The name was gifted by the Musqueam Indian Band in a ceremony in September 2022, after the city council voted to rename it in 2021.^[7] A new sign was installed on 20 June 2025 at a ceremony at which the Musqueam chief, Wayne Sparrow, and the Mayor of Vancouver, Ken Sim, spoke.^[8]

The city council has established an English translation, Musqueamview Street, to be used for where the Halkomelem name cannot be used, including mail delivery systems.^[6]

The street was originally named after Joseph Trutch, who served as the first Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, and was renamed due to him being considered extremely racist, with Global News saying he “was openly hostile to First Nations, denied the existence of Aboriginal rights, and did not recognize previously established Indian Reserves”.^[4]

Criticisms

Jamie Sarkonak of the National Post argued that the name will make wayfinding, mail writing, legal documentation (including tax, bank and insurance documentation), transit, and communication, including with emergency services, unnecessarily difficult.^[9] Some residents have complained that they have had difficulties updating bank documentation. The Mayor of Vancouver, Ken Sim, has argued that residents can use the English name "Musqueamview Street", citing its appearance on Google Maps, with him saying that “Change is hard, but it’s the right change”.^[10]

The Squamish Nation has disputed the name change, saying that the street is also located on former Squamish land and criticising the lack of consultation with their council.^[11]

The two week notice given has also been criticised for being too short for residents.^[10]