A mysterious campaign has cropped up in Kits that takes aim at B.C.’s first lieutenant-governor, Sir Joseph William Trutch. Trutch has been dead for over 98 years.
Several street signs along Trutch Street have been defaced by a large white sticker that reads, “Joseph Trutch was a racist bigot”.
Throughout his political career, Trutch was noted for his hostility to land claims by First Nations people, and demonstrated contempt for their concerns.
According to a CBC report, residents say they noticed the signs two or three days ago, but the person or group behind the sticker campaign remains a mystery.
Trutch was an Englishman who grew up in Jamaica and came to British Columbia in the late 1850s. He engineered a bridge to move gold across the Fraser River near Spuzzum and was later named Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works.
Last modified: August 16, 2012
It’s interesting to see how some like to spend their time and effort. I didn’t know that Trutch was a racist bigot, but now I do thanks to their sticker. Will changing the name of the street improve Kits? Maybe, but will it do anything to eradicate racism? No.
Did you know that the creator of Gill Sans (typeface) was a paedophile? Will removing all Gills Sans from print and web stop paedophiles? That’s just as silly as renaming Trutch street in kits.