'Given the reprehensible positions he's taken... I can't imagine why we'd want his name,' says an urban planner

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Trump name has no place in Downtown Vancouver, according a prominent urban planner, who had been pushing for a change for the Trump International Hotel and Tower even before The Donald’s latest outburst of racially-charged rhetoric.

Trump has called for the ‘complete shutdown’ on Muslims entering the US. The proposed ban would apply to immigrants and visitors alike, a sweeping prohibition affecting all adherents of Islam who want to

go to the US.

“As I’ve described the building within the skyline or toured urbanists from around the world, I always point out that it has adopted the Trump name but I refuse to call it that,” says Brent Toderian of Toderian UrbanWORKS.

“The original name for it when we were planning for it was ‘Vancouver’s Turn’ which is a play on words to the fact it’s kind of a curving, twisting building. Of course, it was also Arthur Erickson’s last major building in Vancouver and, I think, one of his biggest — it’s the second tallest building in the downtown skyline — so it’s a remarkable building from many perspectives.”

Toderian says that is why he has been outspoken from the beginning about what he calls a “lazy” attachment of the Trump name.

“He had absolutely nothing to do with the building at all. And I said all this even before he jumped into the US presidential race and became just a deplorable human being in my observation and opinion,” he tells NEWS 1130.

“Given the reprehensible positions he’s taken, the incredibly damaging effect he’s having on civic discourse and even inciting hatred and racism, I can’t imagine why we’d want his name associated with such a prominent and important building in our downtown.”

Toderian says he can’t see the owners of the property wanting to continue using the Trump name.

“It might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but I can’t imagine they’d want it associated with their brand either. I think it’s quite appropriate for Vancouverites to speak out. Just like Trump feels he has the right to say whatever he wants, I think Vancouverites have a right to say whatever we want and show, in our opinion, the name has no place in Canada or Vancouver given the things we stand for.”

Vancouver City Councillor Kerry Jang supports the push to dump Trump’s name from the tower.