Ottawa's Disappearing Act: Trump Avenue Sign Stolen Amidst Renaming Efforts

It seems that even inanimate street signs can't escape the political spotlight, especially when they're named 'Trump Avenue.' In a truly head-scratching turn of events right here in Ottawa's Central Park neighbourhood, one of the street signs for Trump Avenue has gone missing. And if that wasn't peculiar enough, it then popped up online, listed as 'sold' on Facebook Marketplace, sparking quite a stir.

The curious case unfolded sometime during the night, between a Thursday and a Friday, just last week. The sign, which stood proudly at the intersection of Trump Avenue and Whitestone, simply vanished. While CTV News Ottawa couldn't independently verify the legitimacy of the Facebook Marketplace listing – which was reportedly flagged to the city this past Monday – the sheer audacity of it all has certainly captured local attention. Interestingly, other signs along Trump Avenue, specifically at the Bloomingdale and Celebration intersections, remain untouched for now.

Now, this isn't just a simple case of petty theft, not entirely anyway. This incident is woven into a much larger, ongoing narrative: the persistent push to rename Trump Avenue. For quite some time, many residents and local officials, including City Councillor Riley Brockington, have expressed their discomfort with the name. You see, while many of the streets in this area were originally named after landmarks in New York City – including Trump Village – the association has become, shall we say, a bit contentious in recent years.

Councillor Brockington, ever persistent, actually introduced a motion to change the street name just days before the sign went missing. This wasn't his first attempt either; a similar effort was made back in 2021. He's heard the community's desire for a new name loud and clear, and he's been working to get that ball rolling. It really makes you wonder if the timing of the sign's disappearance is just a strange coincidence, or if there's more to this story than meets the eye.

In response to the theft, Krista Tanaka, who serves as the Director of Traffic Services for the City of Ottawa, confirmed that a new sign for Trump Avenue will indeed be installed. So, the street won't be nameless for long. Meanwhile, the Ottawa Police Service has received a report about the missing sign and is currently investigating, though they haven't shared many details just yet. The mystery, it seems, continues.

As for the larger question of the street's name? That decision is still very much in play. Councillor Brockington anticipates that a definitive answer on whether Trump Avenue will get a new moniker could come as early as this Christmas. So, while the immediate mystery of the vanishing sign is being handled, the long-term future of the street's identity remains a topic of spirited discussion and anticipation within the community.