The stories behind Vancouver’s most unusual and historic street names

Out of the hundreds of street names in Vancouver, a few stand out with their quirky or thought-provoking names.

According to the City of Vancouver website, "city-owned assets should generally be named after people who are no longer living, places, events, and things related to the city of Vancouver." This naming process should reflect Vancouver's culture, promoting diversity and inclusivity. The City of Vancouver considers streets named after people, with a criterion that includes dedicated service or "demonstrated excellence" to Vancouver, British Columbia, or Canada, as well as risking their lives to protect others and volunteering or providing significant aid to others.

Below are a handful of streets located in Vancouver and its suburbs that have a history behind their names.

 šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm

"Vancouver" is located on the unceded, dispossessed land and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. These Nations have stewarded these lands that uninvited guests have settled on since time immemorial.

On National Truth and Reconciliation Day in 2022, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm held a renaming ceremony, which gifted the City of Vancouver a new name for Trutch Street in Kitsilano. According to a press release by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Nation, šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm is named in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the traditional language of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm. In English, šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm is Musqueamview.

Trutch Street was renamed due to the racist actions and views of English colonizer Joseph Trutch, who denied the existence of Aboriginal rights and titles as well as established Indian Reserves. The renaming to xʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm is a part of the steps towards reconciliation and recognizing Vancouver's history of not recognizing Indigenous rights.

Leg-in-Boot Square

Located near False Creek, the history behind Leg-In-Boot Square is dark yet intriguing.

The name originated after the Great Vancouver Fire, when a single boot was discovered in the aftermath that contained a human leg inside.

Interestingly, the newly founded Vancouver Police Department (VPD) decided to investigate this discovery by hanging the boot with the leg inside at their station for two weeks, hoping someone would claim the member. However, no one did, making this 90-year-old story an ongoing mystery.

@j_mcelroy/Twitter

Valiant Street

Since 1957, the VPD has had a significant roster of Service Dogs to aid the department with various calls that come through.

In 1967, a police dog named Valiant was killed in the line of duty while chasing after a murderer who had escaped prison and was on the run. Valiant is dedicated to honouring his legacy by serving with the VPD.

Bobolink Avenue

During the 1950s, when Vancouver was being developed after World War II, a city planner decided that streets near golf courses should be named after other golf courses located outside of Vancouver. Bob O'Link Golf Course is located in Illinois.

There is a bird called a bobolink that does not originate in Vancouver but rarely shows up in B.C., which, interestingly, is the logo of Bob O'Link Golf Course.

@j_mcelroy/Twitter

Blood Alley

A piece of lore that remains unknown for its origins is Blood Alley.

According to Destination Vancouver, some debate that the name originates from this alleyway being the centre of the butcher trade in the city. Others argue that it was a site of public execution by hanging.

The death penalty was abolished in 1998, with the last execution taking place in 1962.

@Wordsmith66/Twitter