Petition calls on Ottawa to rename street outside Russian Embassy in honour of Alexei Navalny
An online petition is calling on the City of Ottawa to rename a portion of Charlotte Street in front of the Russian Embassy to 'Navalny Street' in honour of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died last week.
"As someone deeply moved by the courage and resilience of Alexei Navalny, I am initiating this petition to rename a segment of street in Ottawa," the petition organizer said on the crowdsourcing platform Change.org.
"The proposed change is to name the stretch of road on Charlotte Street from Wilbrod Street to Range Road as 'Navalny Street' (about a 100 metre stretch of Charlotte Street), which is right in front of the Russian embassy."
The organizer says they are hoping the name change would only impact the embassy grounds, without affecting other homes or businesses in the area.
Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, died Friday in the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence. He had been behind bars since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow to face certain arrest after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.
FILE - Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny takes part in a march in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)
The petition organizer says the change would "serve as a constant reminder for Russia about their brave citizens who stood up for democracy against all odds."
There have been several other name change proposals for the street since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which marked its second anniversary on Saturday.
In March of the same year, the city installed "Free Ukraine" street signs in front of the embassy, located in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood. The signs were symbolic in nature and not a permanent change. Former Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said at the time the signs were a way to "denounce (the Russian) government's actions and to stand with the people of Ukraine."
NDP MP Charlie Angus presented a motion in the House of Commons that same month calling on the street to be renamed to 'Zelensky Boulevard,' in honour of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. The motion received unanimous consent in the house.
However, there has not been any notices in any official capacity from the city on whether or not it was moving forward with the proposed change.
Those looking to rename a street have to pass through several regulatory hoops imposed by the city. A change to Charlotte Street could be a drawn-out process, considering the street's historical significance.
The street is named after Princess Charlotte, the only child of King George IV. It also holds significance for the city as it honours the city’s first female mayor, Charlotte Whitton.
In Ottawa, a name change must go through a commemorative street naming process, which includes staff vetting requests for a street name, a 30-day public consultation period and a report to council.
The City of Ottawa says it has not received an application to its Commemorative Naming Program.
"It should be noted that the Commemorative Naming Program is currently on hold until a new policy will be brought forward later this year," said Dan Chenier, the city's general manager of recreation, cultural and facility services in a statement.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle and The Associated Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.