Trump name on Vancouver tower 'a business decision,' says Christy Clark
Republican presidential candidate called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims" entering the U.S.
B.C. Premier Christy Clark has weighed in on growing calls to remove Donald Trump's name from a Vancouver tower — saying it's "a business decision" that she'll leave to those involved.
Trump, vying for the Republican presidential nomination, called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" on Monday, prompting a Vancouver city councillor, former city planner and others to say the Trump name has no place in the Vancouver skyline.
But Clark isn't going that far, saying cities all around the world are "stuck with" Trump towers, so it doesn't say much about Vancouver if there's one here too.
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"It's a business decision, and you know what, it's something the City of Vancouver approved," said Clark to CBC News.
"It doesn't seem like good business to have your business branded Trump these days," she said. "But I'm not a businessman or a businessperson so I'll let the folks involved in that make that decision."
Developer responds
In his first response since the controversy broke, the CEO of the Vancouver-based developer Holborn that owns Trump Vancouver has issued a statement, saying he won't comment on "Mr. Trump's personal or political agenda."
"Holborn, a company that has contributed immensely to the growth of Vancouver, is not in any way involved in U.S .politics," wrote Joo Kim Tiah in a statement.
The statement said the Trump Vancouver building will create "as many as 300 jobs" when it opens in 2016, and will soon be the "finest luxury property in Vancouver and beyond."
With files from Richard Zussman