Origins and meanings of Canadian place names

Acajack · #1 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:12 PM**

I was thinking about starting this thread a few days ago, and the other thread on Did you know? brought it back in mind.

So, what are the origins of the place name of where you live (or of other places in Canada)?

What does the place name actually mean?

FFX-ME · #2 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:14 PM**

Embrun was the name of the town in the French Alps that Embrun, ON's first priest originated from. Named the village after his home town, simple enough.

Acajack · #3 Posted **Feb 9, 2018, 1:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FFX-ME

Embrun was the name of the town in the French Alps that Embrun, ON's first priest originated from. Named the village after his home town, simple enough.

There is also a Limoges near there, which isn't anywhere near Embrun in France, but is famous for its porcelain. I have no idea how it got its name.

"Embrun" actually means "mist", though it's not a word that's used that much in Canadian French.

CityTech · #4 Posted **Sep 17, 2020, 4:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by FFX-ME

Embrun was the name of the town in the French Alps that Embrun, ON's first priest originated from. Named the village after his home town, simple enough.

Wait, you're from Embrun? I actually grew up there. So did 1overcosc. Do we really have three SSPers from the same little town? That's... wild.

Laceoflight · #5 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:21 PM**

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu means what it means. Out of the 516 Saint-Something municipalities in the province, it's the largest... But the name was so common - lots of St-Jean in the province- that the town council added sur-Richelieu to it in 1978 in order to distinguish it from the village on Orleans island and... Saint-Jean (Saint John NB) and Saint-Jean de Terre-Neuve (St. John's NL). Richelieu stands for the river and indirectly for the Cardinal de Richelieu (a very odd character in French history).

Throughout history, it's first been called Masolian by the Abénakis, which meant "lots of silver". Then, Saint-Jean (because of the day the fort was inaugurated in 1666), St. Johns, Dorchester (obvious meaning - the man). During the French regime and until about 1790, the nickname of the place was Fort-aux-Maringouins (or "Fort Mosquito") because of well... haha. Our mascot during the Jeux du Québec was a huge maringouin called Moustique. Sadly the name didn't stick. Would have been fun.

Acajack · #6 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laceoflight

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu means what it means. Out of the 516 Saint-Something municipalities in the province, it's the largest... But the name was so common - lots of St-Jean in the province- that the town council added sur-Richelieu to the it in 1978 in order to distinguish it from the village on Orleans island and... Saint-Jean (Saint John NB) and Saint-Jean de Terre-Neuve (St. John's NL). Richelieu stands for the river and indirectly for the Cardinal de Richelieu (a very odd character in French history).

Throughout history, it's first been called Masolian by the Abénakis, which meant "lots of silver". Then, Saint-Jean (because of the day the fort was inaugurated in 1666), St. Johns, Dorchester (obvious meaning - the man). During the French regime and until about 1790, the nickname of the place was Fort-aux-Maringouins (or "Fort Mosquito") because of well... haha. Our mascot during the Jeux du Québec was a huge maringouin called Moustique. Sadly the name didn't stick. Would have been fun.

Has it ever been referred to as St-Jean-d'Iberville? I have some relatives in that area and in my family for some reason everyone's always called it that.

Laceoflight · #7 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Has it ever been referred to as St-Jean-d'Iberville? I have some relatives in that area and in my family for some reason everyone's always called it that.

Informellement only. As the town was named Saint-Jean "tout court", people would add the county after the name, in order to avoid confusion. My grandparents called it St-Jean-d'Iberville... Younger generations don't. I always thought of my hometown as having the blandest name out of the important places of the province.

Quote:

Regina SK's original name is "Pile O' Bones"

Regina should definitely be renamed to Pile O' Bones.

Acajack · #8 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laceoflight

Regina should definitely be renamed to Pile O' Bones.

Especially when you consider how the correct pronunciation of Regina causes a visible malaise among non-Canadian visitors.

VANRIDERFAN · #9 Posted **Feb 9, 2018, 2:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Especially when you consider how the correct pronunciation of Regina causes a visible malaise among non-Canadian visitors.

No way! Love the town that rhymes with fun!

Apologies if somebody has already pointed this out!

Acajack · #10 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laceoflight

Informellement only. As the town was named Saint-Jean "tout court", people would add the county after the name, in order to avoid confusion. My grandparents called it St-Jean-d'Iberville... Younger generations don't. I always thought of my hometown as having the blandest name out of the important places of the province.

.

Ahhh, now I get it.

It's like Saint-Raymond (de Portneuf). The real name is Saint-Raymond, but "de Portneuf" is often added to situate it within Quebec, and some people assume it's part of the name.

Ça prenait un "Johanois"(?) pour m'expliquer ça.

Laceoflight · #11 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Ahhh, now I get it.

It's like Saint-Raymond (de Portneuf). The real name is Saint-Raymond, but "de Portneuf" is often added to situate it within Quebec, and some people assume it's part of the name.

Ça prenait un "Johanois"(?) pour m'expliquer ça.

Un Johannais ;-) Le plus proche exemple est définitivement Saint-Georges (-de-Beauce).

geotag277 · #12 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:29 PM**

Regina SK's original name is "Pile O' Bones", from the Cree "oskana kâ-asastêki", due to buffalo bones being piled on the banks of a creek.

The Ontario city of Kenora was an amalgamation between Rat Portage and Keewatin, Norman, and gets it's name from the first two letters of each. Rat Portage as a name comes from the idea that it is a "portage to the country of the muskrat". Rat Portage itself was early on claimed by Manitoba, and apparently there are early references to Rat Portage, Manitoba. It was briefly officially part of Manitoba at Ottawa's behest for about 10 years until being passed over to Ontario control.

Blader · #13 Posted **Feb 9, 2018, 1:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by geotag277

Regina SK's original name is "Pile O' Bones", from the Cree "oskana kâ-asastêki", due to buffalo bones being piled on the banks of a creek.

If Regina wanted to be noticed on the world stage they should change the city name to the original. That would require broad shoulders and a sense of humor while still staying true to its origins. Regina doesn't do that.I'm thinking of it being ranked with the likes of Kathmandu, Timbuktu.
Just a notion from a guy living in Calgary. Oh, globally known as Okotoks.

Andy6 · #14 Posted **Feb 9, 2018, 1:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blader

If Regina wanted to be noticed on the world stage they should change the city name to the original. That would require broad shoulders and a sense of humor while still staying true to its origins. Regina doesn't do that.I'm thinking of it being ranked with the likes of Kathmandu, Timbuktu.
Just a notion from a guy living in Calgary. Oh, globally known as Okotoks.

Moose Jaw is at least a specific bone.

Such worldwide recognition as Regina has comes (like Nantucket) from its usefulness in limericks, so you wouldn't want to risk losing that.

Andy6 · #15 Posted **Feb 9, 2018, 1:15 AM**

"Winnipeg" means "muddy water", which makes eminent good sense, given the appearance of the Red River. At least it seems to until you realize that the name was applied to Lake Winnipeg much earlier and only used for the settlement when "Red River" needed a fancier name on being turned into a city in 1873. Lake Winnipeg was known as Lac Bourbon in the French days.

lio45 · #16 Posted **Feb 9, 2018, 4:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laceoflight

During the French regime and until about 1790, the nickname of the place was Fort-aux-Maringouins (or "Fort Mosquito") because of well... haha. Our mascot during the Jeux du Québec was a huge maringouin called Moustique. Sadly the name didn't stick. Would have been fun.

On a similar theme, FYI, the county in FL where Orlando is was originally called Mosquito County for good reason not unlike the one you refer to. The name eventually got changed for something more marketable as the county was reduced in size, spawning others. Interestingly, both Mosquito County (pre-insecticides) and Orange County (later) have been very apt names for the same area in their respective eras. (To continue on that trend I suppose it could be renamed again to Theme Park County now.)

Echoes · #17 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:39 PM**

Saskatoon is derived from the Cree noun misâskwatômina that refers to the berries that grow in the area.

SignalHillHiker · #18 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:40 PM**

In the early 1500s (and much earlier, they claim), St. John's was a seasonal fishing station used primarily by the Portuguese, named São João. St. John's is just the translation of that name - lots of myths have risen up crediting various English-speaking sources. None are accurate.

Newfoundland... no idea.

Brigus is my favourite in Newfoundland. It was Brickhouse, and just slowly became Brigus over the centuries.

Xelebes · #19 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 9:41 PM**

All places I've lived:

Edmonton: (OE) "Farmstead of man so named as representing a rich helmet." So named because the chief factor hailed from Edmonton, UK.
Lynnwood: (OE, Scottish) "the wood of a lynn, stream or pool" So named because of a wooded dry stream that was once part of the ravine.
Meyonohk: (Cree) "A nice place to be" So named because the area used to be part of the Papaschase First Nation, a Cree Nation which was dissolved under they eye of the Interior Minister Frank Oliver.
Hazeldean: (OE) "A hill adorned with hazelnut trees" Perhaps of familial association to the original developer.
Rideau Place: (OE) "A congregation point for curtain waterfalls" Likewise.
Millboune: (OE) "Mound atop Mill Creek, creek so named for the large mill located above its mouth into the river" Literal
Hepburn: (OE) "High burial mound" Named for familial relations to the founders.
Devon: (Brythonic) "Deep Valleys" Likewise.
Saskatoon: (Cree) "At the serviceberry" Literal

Architype · #20 Posted **Feb 8, 2018, 10:19 PM**

It seems more than half of the places in Quebec are named after saints. Those of us who aren't Catholic never even realised there were so many saints. Is there a possibility of such names being changed in future, as the religious influence fades?

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.49506...4,10.37z?hl=en