Why Does Canada's Capital City of Ottawa Have a Street Named After President Donald Trump?

Although it’s hard to believe given President Trump’s stance towards Canada in his second term, Ottawa really does have a Trump Avenue.

And unlike a number of other Canadian and other locations containing the word “Trump,” it wad deliberately named after Donald Trump.

Why is there a Trump Avenue in Ottawa?

Trump Avenue is in Ottawa’s Central Park neighbourhood, just west of the city centre.

The neighbourhood was developed by Ashcroft in the late 1990s and was given a strong New York City theme. Other nearby streets include Manhattan Crescent, Staten Way, Grammercy Park, Bloomingdale Street and Gotham Private.

At the time, Donald Trump was not a politician. He was primarily known as a flamboyant Manhattan property developer and celebrity businessman, so his name fitted reasonably naturally alongside the other New York references.

There does not appear to be a surviving official document explaining exactly why the developer selected Trump specifically. However, contemporary and later reporting consistently says that the developers deliberately named the street after him as part of the neighbourhood’s New York branding.

So, ironically, Trump Avenue predates Trump’s political career by roughly two decades.

Residents have already tried to change it

The name became considerably more controversial once Trump entered politics.

Following his first presidency and particularly after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, local councillor Riley Brockington consulted the street’s residents about changing it.

There were 62 households:

21 wanted the name changed
21 wanted it kept
20 did not vote/respond

The proposal therefore went nowhere. Interestingly, Brockington said many opponents weren’t necessarily defending Trump, they simply didn’t want the hassle of changing their address on driving licences, bank accounts, insurance, bills and other records.

But in 2026, the issue is back!

The situation changed dramatically again in August 2026.

Relations between Canada and the Trump administration have deteriorated amid new tariffs, arguments over Canadian sovereignty and Trump’s recent order directing the U.S. government to call Lake Ontario “Lake America.”

Brockington now says he believes Trump Avenue should be renamed, describing it as an embarrassment for Canada’s capital. He intends to begin a formal process during the next Ottawa City Council term, following the municipal election on October 26, 2026.

Reuters reported on September 2 that Brockington expects the process could take up to a year, because it would involve research, consultation and helping residents deal with the practical consequences of an address change.

Importantly, some reports have made it sound as though Ottawa has already voted to rename the street.

No replacement name has yet been formally approved. Brockington raised the issue during a council discussion about U.S. tariffs and has committed to pursuing the change.

What could it be called instead?

Suggestions have ranged from serious to intentionally provocative.

Among those floated publicly are Obama Avenue, Canada Avenue, Ontario Avenue, Pelosi Avenue and Gulf of Mexico Avenue.

The funniest suggestion is probably TACO Avenue, referencing the Wall Street expression “Trump Always Chickens Out”, originally coined in connection with Trump’s tendency to announce tariffs and subsequently delay or modify them.

Another logical option would be to retain the neighbourhood’s original New York theme and choose another New York landmark or historical figure.

But residents have considerable influence over what happens.

Under Ottawa’s normal commemorative street-renaming rules, an application requires support from 75% plus one of affected residents/property owners, along with the ward councillor’s approval.

The proposed name then goes through city review and ultimately the relevant council committee.

That makes renaming far from automatic. In 2021 they couldn’t even achieve a simple majority.

The practical inconvenience remains important too. Residents would need to change numerous records and addresses, although Canada Post provides one year of continued delivery to the old address following a municipally initiated address change.

So the likely sequence is: Ottawa’s October 2026 election → new council takes office → Brockington launches consultation → residents discuss possible replacements → formal application and approval process.

Given the renewed political pressure, Trump Avenue probably has a greater chance of disappearing than it did in 2021, but as of September 4, 2026, it is still officially Trump Avenue.

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