There is a small town just north of where I live with a set of numbered streets running perpendicular to its Main Street – like so many towns of similar age and history. And like other towns, there is no 13th street. I noticed this when I was a teenage driver going out to the fairgrounds in the summer. The street was labeled “B.C. Avenue.” I assumed it stood for “Before Christ” because the town was settled by the Dutch and is known for being quite conservative.
Now I’m not so sure. I recently drove out to visit a family living on British Columbia Avenue – the street between 12th and 14th Avenues. I’ve tried to find out if it has always had that designation or not but Google has failed me – or it has always had that name. It is a nice way to recognize our near-by Canadian neighbors who, (at least currently,) are not trying to build a wall between our countries. 
March 13th, 2017 at 7:58 pm
It is ironic that in my town 13th street starts at a Teahouse send to us from our sister city and ends at a housing development that includes almost entirely immigrants. That’s worth thinking about.
March 13th, 2017 at 8:11 pm
13 does get a bad rap—not in my book. My dad’s birthday was 0/13/1013. My family has always loved the number 13
March 13th, 2017 at 9:00 pm
We have 13th Streets, a few of them! Certainly in Manhattan and in Brooklyn. And there could be be a Street and an Avenue in Queens, for all I know. And a 13th floor in my office building, too. I’ve always thought skipping the 13 in buildings was silly. Doesn’t everyone on the 14th floor know where they really are? 🙂
March 13th, 2017 at 9:10 pm
Hmmm, I’m going to check this out. Thanks for the provocation.
March 14th, 2017 at 5:02 pm
I think it is funny that you thought “Before Christ”…and it turns out to be British Columbia.
March 15th, 2017 at 6:44 am
When I was growing up the street sign just said B.C. and my cultural lens and, admittedly my bias, made an assumption. I actually do think it was changed to become British Columbia Ave but I don’t really know at this point. It does tell me something about myself for sure.