Move over, Church Street. Burlington’s downtown pedestrian drag is now officially “Rue Canada.”
City leaders gathered at the top of Church Street on Wednesday to unveil signs meant to ease Canadian-American tensions as President Donald Trump’s scuffle with Canada continues. The gesture represents Burlington’s outstretched hand to its northern neighbors, who boost Vermont’s economy by an estimated $150 million per year.
“Trump’s damaging tariffs, nasty rhetoric and inhumane immigration policies have eroded the trust and goodwill that once flowed so freely across our shared border,” said City Councilor Becca Brown McKnight (D-Ward 6), who drafted the resolution to temporarily rename the street.
The Canadian Automobile Association’s summer survey confirmed Canadians’ reluctance to travel to the U.S. Forty-five percent of respondents said that conflict between governments had an impact on their vacation planning.
“We look at the data, and we see that border crossings are down 30 to 40 percent. We see spending from Canadians is down 30 to 40 percent,” State Treasurer Mike Pieciak said at the sign unveiling.
The renaming has received mixed reactions from the Canadians it was supposed to entice. Some Canadian readers of Seven Days called the move patronizing or ridiculous. Some other readers suggested the $3,000 that the campaign cost could have been spent elsewhere to help the city’s downtown core.
Other northern neighbors wrote to the city council expressing their gratitude for the gesture. One said they’d be open to “suspending our boycott of discretionary travel to the U.S. and especially your city.” Another offered to buy the sign after its stint ends on September 1.
McKnight read a thank-you letter from a Canadian tourist who said the name change eased their anxiety about visiting the U.S.
“I want you all to go out and find a sign, go take your picture in front of it, post about it on social media, tell your friends,” McKnight told the crowd. “Have fun with this.”
Canadians have made similar gestures. The Tourism Eastern Townships organization launched a “Come hug it out” ad campaign to draw Americans north.
And last month, Gov. Phil Scott met with Canadian leaders and other Northeast state officials to discuss how to tackle tourism and supply chain issues in light of the Trump administration’s actions.
David Delaney, a dual citizen living in Burlington, attended the sign unveiling wearing a Canadian flag as a cape.
“The rhetoric coming out of D.C. on Canada is so needlessly antagonistic and provocative, and the tariffs as well,” he said. “I think it’s so great that Vermonters are showing that we love Canada, we love Canadians, we love a cross-border relationship that respects the sovereignty of our neighbors.”