FACT CHECK: Has Montreal Renamed One Of Its Streets ‘Avenue Zelensky’?
An image shared on Facebook claims the city of Montreal recently renamed the street where its Russian consulate is located to “Avenue Zelensky.”
Verdict: False
A spokesperson for the city confirmed the street has not been renamed.
Fact Check:
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, nations across the world have begun changing the names of their street signs to express solidarity with Ukraine, according to The Washington Post. A post shared on Facebook claims Canada recently did so, changing the name of a street in Montreal to “Avenue Zelensky,” in honor of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The post includes an image of the alleged street sign.
“The Russian consulate in Montreal is now on Avenue Zelensky,” reads the image’s caption. (RELATED: Did An Italian News Outlet Use A Movie Scene In Its Coverage Of The Ukrainian Crisis?)
There is no evidence to suggest the street has been formally renamed. The Russian consulate in Montreal is located on Avenue du Musée, according to the consulate’s website and Google Maps. A reverse image search revealed the picture of the “Avenue Zelensky” street sign was originally shared in a March 10 tweet from the verified account of the Canadian comedy group Infoman.
Un beau moment immortalisé. pic.twitter.com/dnGM6z0N47
— INFOMAN (@infomantv) March 11, 2022
“A beautiful moment captured,” reads a translated version of the post’s caption. A member of the comedy group installed the sign on the fence in a video shared on the group’s website.
Fabienne Papin, a spokesperson for the city of Montreal, confirmed the name of the street has not been changed.
“The City of Montreal strongly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine in violation of international law and declares its solidarity with the Ukrainian community of Montreal,” reads a translated version of an email Papin sent to Check Your Fact. “That said, it should be noted that the City has not changed the name of Avenue du Musée, either in whole or in part, which leads to the Consulate General of Russia in Montreal. This is misinformation.”
