Fact Check: Is Canada renaming a street named after Trump amid tariff war?
OTTAWA, CANADA: Amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada, which has escalated due to repeated jibes by President Donald Trump, a rumor began circulating on social media claiming that Canada is renaming a street named after Trump.
The claim has sparked speculation, prompting a fact-check of the claim.
Claim: Canada renaming a street named after Trump
According to a viral claim circulating on social media, Ottawa City Council has unanimously taken the first step toward renaming Trump Avenue, a residential street that has carried Donald Trump’s name for about 25 years.
It further claims that the proposed replacements include Obama Avenue, Ontario Avenue, Canada Avenue, Beaver Avenue, Gulf of Mexico Avenue, Canada Goose Avenue, Pelosi Avenue, and Taco Avenue.
The claim drew mockery and speculation from online users, who appeared to believe it was true, while others questioned its authenticity, prompting a verification of the rumor.
Fact Check: The claim is mostly true
The claim is indeed true, as the Ottawa City Council took the first step toward renaming Trump Avenue, a residential street in Ottawa’s Central Park neighbourhood, in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, August 26, after Trump announced the renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Although the council is considering ‘Obama Avenue’ or ‘Taco Avenue’ as options for the name change, the claim that it is also considering Beaver Avenue, Gulf of Mexico Avenue, Canada Goose Avenue, and Pelosi Avenue is exaggerated for the sake of engagement.
According to Tim Tierney, the city’s councillor, Canada has numerous places bearing the name ‘Trump,’ ranging from lakes to islands and a creek, but only one is actually named after the US president.
“Right now, I think our focus has to remain on trade and tariffs, something that this is just nothing more than a distraction from," Tierney told the Independent. “We see the president doing something the same and it’s tired. Stop with the lame name game and let’s get back to the table.”
Trump renames Lake Ontario to Lake America
The development comes after Lake Ontario was renamed Lake America following Trump’s new executive order.
"We're going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America. The Canadian officials have treated us very badly. They're nasty people," Trump told reporters.
"The lake change, Lake of America, was something I've been thinking about for a long time, actually. As you know, we took something called the Gulf of Mexico, we changed it, and now it's very routinely the Gulf of America," Trump said.
