Don’t know how to say the name of Vancouver's new šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street? You will after this
When the City of Vancouver announced that Trutch Street would be renamed šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street (Musqueamview Street), many celebrated the move as long overdue.
However, others responded with confusion. From Reddit to Facebook, commenters dismissed the name as “unpronounceable” or “too hard.”
But for xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Elder Larry Grant and Vanessa Campbell, two members of the Musqueam Language and Culture Department who helped shape the name, these responses only highlight why the change is so necessary.
“It means a lot to be given space to explain it,” Campbell told Daily Hive.
“Because this isn’t just a name. It’s identity, it’s history, it’s visibility.”
So, how do you say šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street?
The name is spelled using hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the traditional language of the Musqueam people. While it may appear unfamiliar to most readers, it’s entirely phonetic.
Here’s a simple breakdown:
- š = “sh” as in shell
- xʷ = air pushed through rounded lips (like blowing out a candle)
- θ = soft “th” as in bath
- ə = the “uh” in about
“It is extremely normal for your English brain to put a boundary,” said Campbell, referring to how English speakers often struggle with the flow of unfamiliar consonant combinations when trying to pronounce hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ words.
“In English, there are not very many consonant clusters, and when there are, they typically make one sound,” she explained.
“So our suggestion is to move through the sound slowly, because every symbol will make its own sound — and try hard not to put a vowel between those two characters.”
This means that while English tends to simplify clusters into a single unit (like the “sh” in shell), hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ requires each sound to be pronounced distinctly, even when they appear side by side.
An audio pronunciation file is available on the City of Vancouver’s website, and a video guide is currently in development.
Bilingual street signs will feature šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, with Musqueamview Street below for accessibility and emergency coordination.
Replacing Trutch: historical context
Joseph Trutch, B.C.’s first Lieutenant Governor, is widely documented for having drastically reduced the size of Indigenous reserves and denying the existence of Aboriginal title.
“He didn’t believe we had any civilization, any right to land or language,” said Grant, who has taught hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ for over 30 years and helped develop the new street name.
“We’re still feeling the impact of what he did.”
In his official capacity in the late 1800s, Trutch reversed the policy of recognizing land rights under Governor James Douglas, reduced reserve sizes without consultation, and often described Indigenous people as “savages” in both public and private records.
His actions removed Indigenous control of vast territories, opening lands to settlers without treaties or compensation, according to UBC Indigenous Foundations (Indian Reserves context).
Naming with intention
Grant and Campbell were both active members of the language team tasked with creating the new name.
They say the project was about more than just translation.
“Our language was pushed out of public life for generations,” Campbell told Daily Hive.
“Having it visible on signs, on maps — it tells our young people that hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ is still alive. That we are still here.”
Grant added that creating the name meant working with cultural memory, not just vocabulary.
“This wasn’t just about the words — it was about honouring the land and our place on it,” he said.
The City has confirmed that the new street signs will be unveiled during a renaming ceremony at St. James Community Square on June 20, 2025. Canada Post will provide one year of free mail forwarding for affected residents, and agencies like ICBC and TransLink will use the Musqueamview Street designation internally.
“We’re not trying to erase history,” Campbell said.
“We’re making space for the truth — and for language that belongs here.”
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