What’s in a name?

I grew up in Dawson Creek, B.C. which is named after British geologist and explorer George Mercer Dawson.

My brother always called it “Dodge” in reference to Dodge City. Dodge City- home of one of our favourite TV shows Gunsmoke- was a western town full of white men (and Miss Kitty).I don't remember seeing many Indigenous people in Dodge City but there were lots in Dawson Creek, including my brother and sister. On Gunsmoke Matt Dillon would tell the outlaws to “get the hell out of Dodge”. We used the phrase “I gotta get outta Dodge” to describe times when we felt bushed and needed some city lights. We also would say “That guy needs to get outta Dodge” to describe someone we thought should leave immediately- or someone we thought had a limited worldview that needed expanding. Did Dodge City or Dawson Creek have indigenous names?  Nothing on record from what I could see.

Me and my old Honda Accord. Preparing to get out of Dodge.

From Dawson Creek I moved to Edmonton, aka Edmonchuck or The Chuck, so-called due to the large numbers of Ukrainian immigrants. In university days we sometimes called it “Deadmonton” for its lack of nightlife. In fact Bub Slug (a local comic strip) described it as the city “where the nightlife don’t stop till the sun goes down.” Funny, considering that in the dead of winter the sun goes down before 4:30 pm. Growing up in Dawson Creek, it was just called "the city". Because it was the only city anywhere near us and it wasn’t uncommon to take an 8 hour Greyhound ride to go see the Ice Capades or get your eyes tested. More recently, Edmonton has become known as “Redmonton” for its left-wing politics. Do those of Ukrainian descent think "the Chuck" is insulting or is it a source of pride? Do New Democrats like the name "Redmonton" or do they embrace it?

"Where the nightlife don't stop till the sun goes down"

Now I live in Slave Lake, named after Lesser Slave Lake which is named after the Dene Slavey people. "Slavey" was not what the indigenous people called themselves, it was the name given to them by the incoming Cree who often called their enemies their slaves even when they weren't. The first Europeans called it "Sawridge" but the name was changed to Slave Lake in 1923. Some people hate the name due to its associations with slavery. There might even been some who don't like the indigenous reference. People here sometimes just call it “Slave” further adding to the ignominy.

Slave Lake in the 1970s.

All of this got me thinking about the official names and the nicknames we Canadians give our communities and the names given to them by others. Sometimes these are insulting or racist. Some are settler names, supplanting the names given by the original residents. Sometimes they are based on history, economics, politics or something alliterative or rhyming or just plain silly. Or just short. Because people are lazy.

Here are a few:

Chicktoria- Victoria B.C, apparently the best place in Canada to be a woman. Also apparently where wealthy men are the most promiscuous. Not sure how those two things are connected.

Hongcouver/Raincouver/Lotusland- Vancouver B.C., home to a large number of immigrants from Hong Kong- and where it rains a lot. Lotusland was coined by journalist Alan Fotheringham after a place in Homer’s Odyssey where everyone is confused due to drug use. Some say that is true of Vancouverites and British Columbians in general.

Stabbotsford- Abbotsford, B.C., the name coined by local rappers to refer to its high rate of violent crime.

Cowtown/Cowgary/C-town-Calgary, Alberta-located in ranch country, home of the famous Stampede (and the cattle in the rodeo)

The Hat-Medicine Hat, Alberta

Fort McMoney/Fort McMordor- Fort McMurray, Alberta- known for the money produced by the oil sands and the accompanying environmental impact

Fox Vegas- Fox Creek, Alberta, known for the money generated by oil and gas

Leftbridge-Lethbridge Alberta, so called for its left leaning politics

Rock Shitty- Rocky Mountain House, Alberta

Dead Rear- Red Deer, Alberta, both a spoonerism and a description

Toontown/ Toonsville/S’tooner-Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Speedy Creek-Swift Current Saskatchewan

The Jaw- Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Winterpeg-Winnipeg, Manitoba- named for its cold winters

The Soo: Sault St Marie, Ontario- named for its French pronunciation

The Hammer-Hamilton, Ontario

Hogtown, The Big Smoke, T.O., T-Dot, The 6ix-Toronto, Ontario- once known for its meat packing plant and the amount of smoke from coal heat, more recently the rapper Drake coined "The 6ix" based on its telephone area code

K Dubs- Kitchener-Waterloo

Haligonia-Halifax, Nova Scotia

Sin Jawns- St. John’s, Newfoundland. To differentiate it for Saint John New Brunswick.

What’s in a name? Quite a bit, it seems.