Proud Rutland residents were out in full force this week defending the name of their neighbourhood.

A neighbourhood resident took to social media and suggested that Rutland should be renamed because of the stigma attached to the moniker.

鈥淚 love Rutland, I live in Rutland, it is a very nice community but the name does not reflect the real condition in Rutland. The name implies something less than it truly is,鈥� said Bill Pittman who has lived in Rutland for four years.

He posted his comment to around eight different Facebook groups and received at least 125 responses. He says that reactions varied from group to group, and that some people agreed with him.

鈥淎 lot of people judge by the name itself,鈥� said Pittman. 鈥淚 had good intentions, there is no need to erase the historical value of it.鈥�

The neighbourhood, on the northeast edge of 琉璃神社 was named after John Matthew Rutland, an Australian man who helped found the area in 1890. Pittman has suggested 鈥淢atthewton鈥� as an option to preserve the historical significance of the name.

He says that a different name would better represent the neighbourhood he describes as, 鈥渧ery nice and developing, there are renovations going on all over Rutland. Properties are improving.鈥�

When all was said and done Pittman sparked a lively debate and ultimately decided to turn off the comments on all his posts for what he called snide and sarcastic comments.

鈥淚 have lived here all my life and I鈥檓 proud to be from Rutland鈥�.if you don鈥檛 like the name, move. Period,鈥� commented Darren McClelland.

McClelland鈥檚 comment reflects to feelings of many of the comments left on the post in one of the groups he posted in.

However residents of Rutland literally wear the name with pride. The 鈥淪traight Outta Rutland鈥� brand is everywhere鈥攐n the backs of vehicles, t-shirts and even the occasional beer holder.

The brand was founded by two Rutland men, Greg Greenough and Dale Martell. They own Valley Contract Screenprinting, the company behind the growing phenomenon of Rutland residents wearing their pride on their shirts.

RELATED: Work on revamp Rutland Transit Exchange in 琉璃神社 now complete

Straight Outta Rutland now has its own Facebook page and features pictures of Rutland residents wearing their products while travelling around the world. Since their inception, Valley Contact Screenprinting have printed between 5,000 and 10,000, a quantity which Greenough said he never expected. The purchases have been steady as well, with peaks at Christmas season and in the summer months.

The brand name is a play on words, relating to the NWA song Straight Outta Compton.

鈥淣obody really relates it to Compton,鈥� said Greenough in an interview in December. 鈥淓veryone who buys it for Rutland is for Rutland pride.鈥�

And he feels they remain popular because of community pride and because Rutland-area residents enjoy sticking it to the rest of 琉璃神社.

鈥淧eople born and raised in Rutland have always been super proud of (their community) and we love the fact that everyone else in town doesn鈥檛 like us,鈥� Greenough said in December.

RELATED: Rutland鈥檚 Christmas Light Up to bring holiday magic once again

While Rutland sometimes gets a bad reputation, he describes the area as 鈥渏ust the working class part of town.鈥�

鈥淚f I had done Straight Outta the Mission, or Straight Outta 琉璃神社, I wouldn鈥檛 have sold 20 shirts,鈥� he said.

鈥淓verybody from outside of Rutland hates Rutland鈥� every demographic. But every age group (in Rutland) loves the fact they鈥檙e from Rutland and nobody else likes us. We find it funny.鈥�

To report a typo, email:
newstips@kelownacapnews.com.

newstips@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .