Ottawa Renames Trump Avenue Amid Canada-U.S. Trade War

Ottawa’s Trump Avenue is headed for a new identity after city council voted unanimously to begin the process of renaming the street in the Central Park neighbourhood.

The decision places a small residential street at the centre of wider strains between Canada and the United States, fuelled by Donald Trump’s tariffs and related actions, including repeated references to making Canada “the 51st State.”

A Community-Led New Beginning

River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington, who introduced the motion, will lead a public consultation with households on Trump Avenue to nominate a replacement name. The eventual proposal will return to council for approval next year.

Brockington said the process should belong to the people who live on the street.

“I do believe this is about a new beginning,” he told councillors. “I want this to be a community-led process where the community ultimately will select and recommend to city council what that new name will be.”

He has also described feeling embarrassed that a street in his ward, and in the national capital, carries Trump’s name.

“I could speak at great length why I believe strongly it is time to rename Trump Avenue,” Brockington said, “but I don’t want to give a platform anymore to the person who is on the current street sign blades.”

A Name Rooted in New York

Trump Avenue was part of Central Park’s New York City-themed street naming when the neighbourhood was developed on former Experimental Farm land in the late 1990s or early 2000s.

The name was chosen in a neighbourhood built around New York references, rather than as a response to Trump’s later political role. That history will remain part of the consultation’s backdrop as residents consider whether the replacement should retain the New York theme or move in another direction.

The council motion leaves the choice with residents, who will be invited to nominate a new name through the process led by Brockington.

Mayor Backs the Change

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe supported the move, saying he did not want Ottawa places named after Trump.

“I don’t like the idea of anything that’s named for Donald Trump, who has demonstrated hostility towards Canada,” Sutcliffe said after the motion was approved.

The street’s name has drawn renewed attention as Canada–U.S. relations have been strained by Trump’s tariffs and other actions. The dispute has travelled from trade and diplomacy into a distinctly municipal question: what name should appear on a street sign in an Ottawa neighbourhood?

Previous Vote Ended Evenly

This is not the first attempt to change the name. During Trump’s first term, a previous vote on renaming Trump Avenue ended in a 21–21 tie, leaving the street name unchanged.

This time, council’s unanimous vote starts a formal consultation rather than settling the replacement name itself. Brockington has said he is prepared to devote the time needed to let the affected community choose its recommendation.

Once residents have selected or nominated an option, city council will have the final say next year.

Address Changes Still Ahead

A new street name will carry practical consequences for the households involved. According to CityNews Ottawa, city staff said the transition will require updates to municipal records and coordination with emergency services, utilities and Canada Post so addresses can be changed smoothly.

For now, the familiar signs will remain in place while the consultation begins. But Ottawa council has made its position clear: Trump Avenue’s next chapter will be written by the people who call it home.

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