Ryan Reynolds Says ‘Hard Pass’ on Petition to Name Vancouver Street After Him

Ryan Reynolds is giving a “hard pass” to an online petition to have a Vancouver street renamed in his honor. After the Deadpool actor caught wind of the efforts, he quickly shot down hope for Vancouverites dreaming of one day walking down Ryan Reynolds Street, revealing that he would not be adding his signature to the list.

Reynolds responded to the petition on Saturday, after news anchor Charlene Close shared that she had signed it. Although the petition has been seen favorably by more than 3,000 people, Reynolds expressed some concerns and pointed out some major downsides that could potentially come with having a street named after him. Reynolds, who was born and raised in Vancouver, admitted that he was not on board with the idea, writing that “if traffic sucks everyone will say, ‘Ryan Reynolds is a mess’ or ‘Ryan Reynolds is really backed up.’”

The petition, launched by Vancouver’s “The Kevin and Sonia Show with Tara Jean” on 104.9 KiSS radio, calls on Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart to name one of the city’s streets after Reynolds. Dubbing Reynolds “Vancouver’s favorite son,” the petition said that the actor “deserves to have a street named after him (or at least a lane).” The reason? Well, the petition cites that “not only has he captured our hearts on the big screen, his humanitarian efforts have made him a beloved local treasure who encapsulates the best of Vancouverites, and fully deserving of this recognition in his hometown.” The petition goes on to list the numerous good deeds Reynolds has done in 2020 alone, including helping a woman “find her treasured stolen teddy bear that contained the voice of her late mother” and donating $500,000 to Covenant House to help homeless and at-risk youth with his wife, Blake Lively, among many other things.

The petition noted that while “the City of Vancouver *generally* only names streets after people who have passed,” there have been some exceptions and “technically Ryan Reynolds is Dead(pool). We think we have a solid case here.” The more than 3,000 people who have signed the petition seemed to agree, with one signee writing that Reynolds “has done so much for his hometown, and this is a great way to show him our appreciation.”

As for what’s next now that Reynolds has given the petition a “hard pass?” In an update, the petition’s creators asked, “should we keep it going, even if it’s just for the hilarious puns and the reasons he listed?”