Trump name to be removed from Trump Tower Toronto—could Vancouver be next?

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      If Trump Tower Toronto is removing the Trump name from its building, could Vancouver's equivalent follow suit?

      JCF Capital ULC, the new owners of Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto, has reached an agreement with Trump Organization to buy out the property's management contracts. The amount involved was not disclosed.

      While the Trump brand has been used for the name of the building since 2012, the Trump Organization does not actually own the 65-storey hotel and condo tower located in Toronto's financial district. The Trump company had a longterm branding and management deal with the building's developer, which defaulted on its construction loan last year.

      The building has been beset by numerous issues, including financial problems, slow construction, investor lawsuits, negative press, protests, and a delayed opening.

      Protests were held at the opening of Trump Tower Vancouver in February.
      Amanda Siebert

      Consequently, the Vancouver hotel will become the Trump Organization's only hotel in Canada.

      Trump Tower International Hotel and Tower Vancouver opened at 1161 West Georgia Street on February 28, amid protests. The owner of the building is Malaysia-based TA Global Berhad's CEO Joo Kim Tiah.

      In 2015, thousands of people signed a petition requesting Trump's name to be removed from the building.

      Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson also sent a letter to Tiah to ask for the removal of the Trump name, citing the incompatibility between Trump's views and Vancouver's values of diversity.

      Like the Toronto tower, Trump does not own the Vancouver building but has a branding and marketing agreement.

      The more important question is: If Donald Trump is orange, does that qualify him as a person of colour?

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