Principles and Procedures for Geographical Naming (1990)

Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names

(now the Geographical Names Board of Canada)

Guiding Principles

Principle 1 - Names Governed by Statutory Authority

The names of municipalities, territorial divisions, reserves, parks and other legal entities as created by, or resulting from, legislation by the appropriate government shall be accepted.

NOTES:

1. This principle requires adherence to the spelling and language form of names specifically legislated by federal, provincial or territorial governments. Such handling of statutory names was confirmed by Treasury Board Circular No. 1983-58 (Appendix 3).
   

   a) The name Newfoundland is statutory, as is the French form Terre-Neuve. Its capital’s name, St. John’s, is also official, but the French form, Saint-Jean, is not authorized, even if it should occur incidentally,
   although incorrectly, in a statue.
   
   

   b) Saint John in New Brunswick is the statutory form of that name, with Saint-Jean having no official status.
   
   

   c) In Quebec, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, is an official name;
   the incidental occurrence of St. Johns in an English statute does not accord to it any official status.
   
   

   d) The misspelling of any name used in descriptions within a statue (e.g. "Miln Point" for Milne Point, N.W.T., or "Sainte-Clothilde" for Sainte-Clotilde, Que.) does not affect the
   official spelling.

2. As of 1987 only one municipality in Canada has different official forms in English and French: Grand Falls and Grand-Sault, in New Brunswick. All other municipalities have single authorized forms, e.g. Trois-Rivières (Que.), Sept-Îles (Que.), The Pas (Man.).
3. Federal and provincial government departments and agencies, with statutory authority to establish names of places or features, are encouraged to consult the respective names authority in the provinces and the territories when considering names for new municipalities, parks, game refuges, bird sanctuaries and similar legal land divisions.
   
   

   a) In 1970 the Department of Municipal Affairs in New Brunswick proposed the establishment of the village of Nackawick at the mouth of Nackawic Stream. Although a post office with the name Nackawick had existed nearby from 1862 to 1915, the village officials were encouraged by the provincial names authority to accept Nackawic, the spelling approved for the watercourse in 1901.

Principle 2 - Names in General Public Use

First priority shall be given to names with long-standing local usage by the general public. Unless there are good reasons to the contrary, this principle should prevail.

NOTES:

1. In standardizing geographical names, precedence shall be given to the names used by local residents and to names with extensive usage on official maps and in government records.
   
   

   a) A name in Alberta with long standing public usage is Castle Mountain. After being renamed Mount Eisenhower by the Geographic Board of Canada in 1946, persistent public efforts ultimately persuaded the names authorities in 1979 to restore Castle Mountain, while assigning Eisenhower Peak to its most prominent point.
   
   

   b) In 1765, Samuel Holland named Eglington Cove, 10 kilometres
   west of Souris, P.E.I., for the 10th Earl of Eglinton. Although a school district by the name of Eglington was established in 1859, and an atlas of the province produced by J.H. Meacham and Company in 1880 showed Eglington
   Cove, the Geographic Board, in deference to the Earl’s name, authorized Eglinton Cove in 1934. Field work in 1966 confirmed the
   preference for Eglington Cove, and this form was restored.
   
   

   c) In 1765, Monckton Township, N.B., was named for Robert Monckton (1726-1782), but the name was changed to Moncton Parish in 1786. Moncton, as a municipality, was incorporated in 1855. In 1930, the city council changed the spelling to Monckton to conform with the name of Robert Monkton. Immediate public outrage led to
   the restoration of the spelling Moncton.
   
   

   d) In Ontario, Colpoy’s Bay was named for Sir Edward Colpoys a 19th century British admiral. Although the apostrophe is not grammatically part of the original name, the Ontario Geographic Names Board endorsed the locally preferred form in 1978.

2. Where long-established forms on maps and in records conflict with extensive, preferred local usage, the latter should prevail unless it is believed that confusion might occur, derogatory or pejorative forms might result, or for some other reason local names are not be deemed satisfactory by the appropriate names authority.
   
   

   a) Field work in 1965 revealed that the Credit River in Ontario had three tributaries called West Branch. To avoid confusion, the three were officially called Credit River (Georgetown Branch), Credit River (Erin Branch) and Credit River (Alton Branch). Subsequently, in 1977, the tributary at Georgetown became Credit River West Branch
   
   

   b) During field investigation in 1960s, Kouchibouguacis River in New Brunswick, was found to be known as Rivière
   Saint-Louis at its mouth and Rivière Française from its midpoint to its headwaters. These two names were endorsed in 1971, but in 1979 the historical name was restored because it was thought that the two names for essentially a single watercourse would be confusing to the public.

Principle 3 - Names Given by Other Agencies

Names for facilities established by postal authorities, railway companies and major public utilities shall be accepted, if they are in keeping with the other principles. Names established for land divisions by federal, provincial and territorial departments shall also be accepted, if they conform to the other principles. Active encouragement should be given to such agencies to have open communication with the appropriate names authorities.

NOTES:

1. A number of public and private institutions, such as Canada Post Corporation and the railway companies have reasons (e.g. local preference, duplication) for using names which vary from established local names. Their names shall be accepted by the appropriate names authorities for use on maps and for entry into official gazetteers and toponymic data bases.
   
   

   a) An example of a postal name that differs in spelling from the municipal name is Verigin in Saskatchewan, where the village name is Veregin. A railway name differing in spelling is Shippigan in New Brunswick, where the town and postal name is Shippagan.
   
   

   b) An example where variations of the same name are in used is in the village of Beebe Plain in Quebec; the postal name is Beebe and the railway name is Beebe Junction.
   
   

   c) There are many examples where names of facilities differ from the community: e.g. the railway name Snedden in the community of Blakeney in Lanark County, Ont.; the postal name Newport in the community of Brooklyn, Hants County, N.S.; and the postal name Belfast in the community of Eldon, P.E.I. Such differences are discouraged when new facilities are being established.

2. Public and private agencies are encouraged to consult the appropriate names authorities before assigning names to their facilities, such as post offices, railway stations, dams, reservoirs, roads, locks, canals and even buildings. In Quebec, other agencies are required by law to coordinate the naming of facilities with the Commission de toponymie du Quebec. Some of the other provinces and territories actively advertise the existence of their geographic names authority, and invite consultation with the authority before names are promulgated by various agencies.

Principle 4 - Naming an Entire Feature and Identifying its Extent

A decision on a name proposal for a physical or cultural feature should specify the geographical limits of the feature to which the name applies. Future approval of different names with the same generic for a part of what is deemed to be the same feature should be avoided.

NOTES:

1. The principle is designed to discourage several names with the same generic for different parts of the same feature. In the new naming of a creek, a mountain or a similar feature, the entire feature to be given the name is to be clearly identified on the best map or chart available (Appendix 2).
   
   

   a) In 1848, Robert Campbell gave the name Lewes River to the headwater of the Yukon River, from Tagish Lake to the confluence with the Pelly River. Although Lewes River was accepted in 1898 by the Geographical Board of Canada, it was dropped in 1945, when the application of Yukon River was extended upriver to include this headwater.

2. It is not necessary to extend the application of the name of a stream to its uppermost headwater, if large lakes intervene, or if none of the headwaters is locally referred to by the same name.
   
   

   a) An example of two names for what may be deemed to be the same watercourse is Petitcodiac River in New Brunswick, which is known as North River upstream from the village of Petitcodiac.

3. Some perceived single geographical features may have two or more official names for different parts. Such names should be respected, and the extent of each part should be clearly identified on the best scale of map available in the records of the names authorites.
   
   

   a) In British Columbia, Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait are essentially two names for different parts of the same channel between Vancouver Island and the mainland.

Principle 5 - Use of Personal Names

A personal name should not be given to a geographical feature unless such application is in the public interest. The person commemorated should have contributed significantly to the area where the feature is located; when such a name is applied, it should normally be given posthumously. The adoption of a personal name during the lifetime of the person concerned should only be made in exceptional circumstances. Ownership of land should not in itself be grounds for the application of the owner’s name to a geographical feature. However, where names already in common local use are derived from the names of persons, either living or deceased, Principle 2 takes precedence.

NOTES:

1. In the past, geographical features and populated places were often named after living persons. From the early days of settlement to the middle of this century it was common to bestow the names of benefactors, crews of vessels, members of expeditions, survey assistants, and family members left at home.
   
   

   a) Sometimes a feature that was given the name of a living person attained prominence, such as Kirkland Lake, Ont., named in 1914 for a stenographer in the Mines Branch in Toronto.
   
   

   b) Occasionally, features were named while the individuals were still active in their careers. An example is Mount Peters in Alberta, named in 1928 for F.H. Peters, who was then Surveyor General of Canada, a position he continued to hold until 1948.

2. In recent years most of the provincial names boards and members of the CPCGN have been conservative in the use of commemorative personal names, insisting that persons be deceased for at least one year before their names are to be considered for features.
   
   

   a) On November 2, 1982, the Commission de toponymie du Québec named Mont Thérèse-Casgrain, located nine kilometers north of La Malbaie, in the Charlevoix region. It was named after the noted defender of social justice and women’s rights who died the year before on November 2, 1981.

3. In the past, many geographical features were named for members of the Royal Family, and international and national figures, many of whom had no connection with the feature that was named for them. At present, most jurisdictions discourage such commemorative names unless they are established in local use (Principle 2) or are derived from the names of persons with a strong association with area.

Principle 6 - Approving Names for Unnamed Features

In approving names for previously unnamed features for which no local names are found to be in use, the following sources are recommended: descriptive names appropriate to the features; names of pioneers; names of persons who died during war service; names associated with historical events connected with the area; and names from native languages formerly identified with the general area.

NOTES:

1. Names authorities themselves rarely initiate naming. They do, however, investigate to determine if local names, especially those used by native peoples, may be in use, prior to evaluating new proposals.
2. The names authorities welcome submissions from local authorities, climbing expeditions, surveying parties, resource development companies and similar groups, who are encouraged to contact the appropriate names authority to determine if particular features unnamed on certain maps do already have official names.
   
   

   a) Names given because of a strong association with the general area include: Larsen Sound in the Arctic for Superintendent Henry Larsen, who commanded the RCMP patrol vessel, ST. ROCH, for several years; and Mount Jimmy Simpson in Alberta, for a noted guide in Banff and Jasper National Parks.

3. Proposed names with significance to specific groups only or names with no relevance to a particular area are usually not acceptable for approval.
   
   

   a) Names rejected include Bad Food Mountain and Watermelon Mountain because they were trite and had significance to only a small number of people.

4. The unofficial use of names in publications is no assurance they will be adopted by a names authority.
5. Pioneers and prominent community developers are often commemorated by geographical names.
   
   

   a) The name Schwartz Lake was given in 1986 in northern Saskatchewan in honour of Henry and Mary Schwartz, pioneers whose families settled in Saskatchewan in 1910.

6. Several thousand of Canada’s war dead have been commemorated in the names of geographical features. Each provincial and territorial names authority has lists of World War II casualties from which they may choose suitable names.
   
   

   a) On May 5, 1949, a group of three lakes in Northern Manitoba was named Mynarski Lakes in honour of P/O Andrew Charles Mynarski, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. He died in France in 1944 after risking his own life in an attempt to save a comrade trapped in their burning Lancaster bomber.

7. When no names exist, dictionaries and lexicons of native languages, and historical records of the area often provide appropriate names.
   
   

   a) In 1971 a reservoir was created at the mouth of the Avon River in Nova Scotia. Pesaquid Lake was approved for the feature. The name was derived from the Micmac name for the site of Windsor, which is adjacent to it.
   
   

   b) When Mactaquac Lake was created in the 1960s behind a dam in the Saint John River valley, upriver from Fredericton, N.B., numerous new geographical features resulted. The name Scoodawabscook Bend was given to a prominent turn in the lake. "Scoodawabscook" is derived from the Maliseet name for nearby Longs Creek.

Principle 7 - Form and Character of Names

Geographical names should be recognizable words or acceptable combinations of words, and should be in good taste.

NOTES:

1. Names that are composed from unnatural or incongruous combinations of words, including combinations of words of different languages and fusions of forename and surname elements are usually not accepted.
   
   

   a) An example of an unacceptable combination of words is Gowythgas Mountain, which was rejected for a feature in the Yukon in 1979.

2. Names that are discriminatory or derogatory from the point of view of race, sex, colour, creed, political affiliation or other social factors are rarely accepted. When such names have been previously approved, and objections have been raised about their continued use, appropriate steps have been taken to change them.
   
   

   a) An eample was the change in 1966 of Nigger Island near Belleville, Ontario, to Mekatewis Island.

3. At one time, names that were deemed cumbersome and unpronounceable were shortened or rejected. In recent years, the names boards have been more open to the approval of names with long specifics.
   
   

   a) Examples are Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik Lake in Manitoba and Île Kuchistiniwamiskahikan in Quebec.

4. Company or commercial product names are usually rejected to avoid publicizing a particular commercial or industrial firm.
   
   

   a) An example is Irvco, a name proposed in 1968 for a railway siding in New Brunswick. It was rejected because it would have drawn attention to the Irving Oil Company.

Principle 8 - Language Forms and Translation

A name should be adopted in a single language form, although other forms may be accepted where in use and when sanctioned by the appropriate names authority. A name should, where possible, be written in the Roman alphabet. When a name is derived from languages other than English or French, it should be written according to the considered opinion of linguistic specialists acceptable to the appropriate names authorities and to the language communities concerned. Names of selected geographical entities of "pan- Canadian" significance, as established by Treasury Board in 1983, are recognized in both English and French for use on federal maps and in federal texts.

NOTES:

1. Names of Inuit and Amerindian origin are normally approved in Roman orthography, using the standard letters and diacritics available.
   
   

   a) In some names of native origin in British Columbia the apostrophe is used to indicate the glottal stop. Examples are ’Adade Yus Mountain and K’i Island.

2. The specific element of a name derived from another Roman-alphabet language should follow the accepted Romanized form of such names, including the diacritics where appropriate. a) Examples of names with specifics from other languages are Müller Ice Cap (N.W.T.), Canton Würtele (Que.) and Cañon Fiord (N.W.T.).
3. Geographical names on federal maps should be only those approved by the CPCGN or listed in the schedule to Treasury Board Circular 1983-58 (Appendix 3).
   
   

   a) On a bilingual map both St. Lawrence River and Fleuve Saint-Laurent, and Red River and Rivière Rouge are used, because they are in the Treasury Board list of pan-Canadian names. Otherwise, only names as approved by the appropriate names authorities should be shown on official federal maps.
   
   

   b) In cases where two unilingual federal maps are produced, the French language map and the English language map will portray names like Williston Lake (B.C.), Missouri Coteau (Sask.), Notre Dame Bay (Nfld), Lac la Martre (N.W.T.), Rivière aux Marais (Man.), Lac Seul (Ont.), Rivière aux Outardes (Que.) and Gros Morne (Nfld.).

4. In geographical names in federal texts, generic terms may be translated. Some suggested equivalent terms in each of Canada’s official languages are set out in the Glossary of Generic Terms in Canada’s Geographical Names, produced jointly in 1987 by the CPCGN and the Translation Bureau.
   
   

   a) In a narrative text, Wilson Point (Ont.) could become pointe Wilson in French, and Étangs Morin (N.B.) may be written as Morin Ponds in English.

5. In geographical names in federal texts, the specific element of a name and the name of a populated place should not be translated.
   
   

   a) Crowsnest Pass (Alta., B.C.) should become col Crowsnest in a French text, not col du Nid de Corbeau. Rivière La Reine (Ont., Que.) could become La Reine River in an English text.
   
   

   b) Names of populated places should remain the same (i.e. untranslated) in both English and French texts. Examples from Digby County, (N.S.), are: Church Point, Grosses Coques, Belliveaus Cove and New France.

6. Geographical names of features may remain in their original language without translation of the generic. A descriptive term may be added to indicated the true nature of the feature.
   
   

   a) Examples of the retention of French generics in English text are Lac Saint-Jean (Que.) and Îles de la Madeleine (Que.) (with initial letters capitalized).
   
   

   b) Examples of English generics retained in a French text are Hells Gate (B.C.) and Turtles Back (Man.).
   
   

   c) In an English text, Le Nid d’Aigle, an elevation in Pontiac County, Quebec, could be accompanied by the word "hill", which reveals the nature of the feature.
   
   

   d) In a French text, Giant Steps, a set of falls in Alberta, could be accompanied by the word "chutes", which explains the nature of the feature.

Principle 9 - Spelling Standards in English and French

The spelling and accenting of names should agree with the rules of the language in which they are written. In English, hyphenation and the genitive apostrophe should be approved only when well established and in current use.

NOTES:

1. In names approved in English, all words should normally be spelled out, with initial letters of each word capitalized, except for articles and particles within names.
   
   

   a) Frenchman River Wildlife Refuge (Sask.) and Solomons Temple Islands (N.W.T.) are examples of names where all initial letters are capitalized.
   
   

   b) Lake on the Mountain (Ont.) and Sons of the Clergy Islands (N.W.T.) are examples where articles and particles within names are spelled with lower case initial letters.

2. In names approved in French, the capitalization rule is similar, except that only specific elements are capitalized in French language texts, e.g. rivière du Monument (Que.) and Petite rivière du Monument (Que.). In English text, the first word of a French name is usually capitalized.
3. Multiple-word names of populated places with one or more French elements should be hyphenated, except if otherwise approved by the appropriate names authority. An article or a preposition at the beginning of a name is not hyphenated with the following word. Accents should be used on upper case letters in French.
   
   

   a) Pointe-Sapin-Centre (N.B.), Durham-Sud (Que.) and Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-l’Isle-Verte (Que.) are examples of populated places with hyphens.
   
   

   b) Examples of names of populated places of French origin approved without hyphens are Lac la Nonne (Alta.), Ste. Amélie (Man.) and Sault Ste. Marie (Ont.).
   
   

   c) Examples of names with initial unhyphenated articles and prepositions are La Coulée (Man.) and De Beaujeu (Que.).
   
   

   d) Examples of names with accented upper-case letters are Les Éboulements (Que.) and Île-à-la-Crosse (Sask.).

4. In French, the generics and specific are not linked by hyphens. Examples are Ruisseau Doré (Que.) and Monts Deloge (Que.).
5. Hyphens are not used in multiple words of non-administrative French toponyms, except when they are already joined by hyphens as recognized expressions. Examples are Ruisseau de la Pointe Horse (Que.) but Rivière Brûle-Neige (Que.) and Anse de Cap-Chat (Que.).
6. In French, specific elements with two family names, or a given name plus a surname, or names with titles require hyphens. Examples are Ruisseau Léopold-Caron (Que.) and Pointe Louis-XIV (Que.).

Principle 10 - Uniformity in the Spelling of Names

Names of the same origin applying to various service facilities in a community should conform in spelling with the official name of the community. Names with the same specific for associated features should agree in form and spelling.

NOTES:

1. In many instances, local consultation has achieved conformity between community names and names of various facilities.
   
   

   a) In the 1960s the police village of Monkland in Eastern Ontario was called Monklands by the Canadian Pacific Railway and Monckland Station by the Post Office Department. A canvass of postal patrons in 1966 revealed a preference for Monkland and the CPR agreed to change to the same form of the name.
   
   

   b) In 1986 the municipality of Saint-Tharcisius in Quebec requested a change in the spelling of the name of the post office, Saint-Tharsicius, to agree with the municipality’s name. The change was made in the spring of 1987.

2. Specifics of names of associated features derived from the same source should agree in their form and spelling.
   
   

   a) As a hypothetical example, if a watercourse has the name of Sandcherry Creek, the forms Sand Cherry Lake and Sand Cherries Cove should be avoided for nearby features.
   
   

   b) In July 1974, the name Wakwayowkastic River in Ontario was respelled Wekweyaukastik River. Later, the name Wakwayowkastic Rapids was respelled Wekweyaukastik Rapids to conform.

Principle 11 - Duplication

Where established names are duplicated or are similar in sound or spelling, and tend to cause confusion, local assistance will be obtained to achieve distinction among them. In giving new names, duplication to the extent that confusion may result in a local community should be avoided.

NOTES:

1. During the first half of the 20th century there was considerable concern about duplicating the names of populated places in the same province, and of duplicating the names of physical features within the same general area. Large numbers of features with the names Mud Lake, Trout Lake and Long Lake were renamed, often with no consultation with the local population.
   
   

   a) Several names of populated places in Quebec are duplicated but it is left to the Commission de toponymie and the various service agencies to devise their own ways of distinguishing one place from another.
   
   

   b) New Brunswick has two places called Evangeline; Prince Edward Island has two places called Baltic; Nova Scotia has three places called Brooklyn; and Newfoundland has several populated place names duplicated, including Seal Cove and Little Harbour.
   
   

   c) Duplication of names in western and northern Canada is less prevalent, perhaps because there has been a greater concern in naming in the past 100 years to avoid misdirecting mail and goods.

2. In recent years, the principle has been relaxed to allow duplication of names of physical and cultural features where no local confusion exists.
   
   

   a) Several common names for physical features have been restored. In 1936 the Geographic Board of Canada renamed Big Gull Lake in Frontenac County, Ont., calling it Clarendon Lake after the township in which it is partly located. In 1962, the name Big Gull Lake was restored, following a request by area residents and resort owners.
   
   

   b) Near Belleville, Ont., is a community called Marysville. Another community with the same name is 60 kilometers to the east on Wolfe Island. Wolfe Island was approved as the name of the unincorporated village until 1977, when the Ontario Geographic names Board approved the use of Marysville, while retaining Wolfe Island as the postal name.

Principle 12 - Generic Terminology

A geographical name usually includes both a specific and a generic element. The generic term in a newly approved geographical name should be appropriate to the nature of the feature. Its position in the name should be dictated by euphony and usage. The generic term will be recorded in English or in French, by the names authority concerned.

NOTES:

1. Generic terms should indicate the type of feature being identified. If an area of permanent ice is really an "icefield" and not a "glacier", "icefield" should be approved as the generic element of the name. If a watercourse is smaller than named "rivers" nearby, the use of another term, such as "brook", "creek" or "stream" would be more appropriate (Appendix 2).
2. Normally, in French, the generic term precedes the specific, as in Pointe au Père (Que.), although with some adjectives, the generic may follow, as in Le Grand Coteau (Que.).
3. In English, the generic normally follows the specific. However, "lake", "mount", ""cape" and "point" may either precede or follow. "Moun" generally precedes a personal name, as in Mount Rundle (Alta.) and Mount Caubvick (Nfld.).
4. For translation in texts, the appropriate generic should be used. Equivalent terms in each of Canada’s official languages are set out in the new Glossary of Generic Terms in Canada’s Geographical Names (Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names and the Translation Bureau, Department of Secretary of State, 1978). This publication also provides definitions of generic terms and notes terminology which may have regional use in Canada.
5. If long-established names include generic terms that do not conform to accepted definitions, the terms will usually be retained by the names authorities, if they are commonly used and widely known.
6. Sometimes in the past, a name has been rendered bilingual by including both French and English generic terms. The use of more than one generic terms with a name, in a text or on a map, should be avoided. Such pivotal forms as Pointe aux Cerises Point or Anse à Ferguson Cove are not recommended.
7. Sometimes the specific includes a false generic, such as Blue Rocks Island (N.S.) and Chenal d’Île au Cochon (Que.). These forms are quite acceptable, the generics in these cases being "island" and "chenal".
8. Occasionally a name of native origin has, fused within the specific, a generic term that is similar in meaning to the French or English generic of the toponym. Examples are Mississippi River (Ont.), Pekwawinneepi Creek (Man.) and Lac Kauskatikakamaw (Que.). Names such as these are quite acceptable.

Principle 13 - Use of Qualifying Terminology

Qualifying words may be used to distinguish between two or more similar features with identical specific forms. Such words may be derived from other local names or features, or maybe terms such as "upper", "new", " west branch", "nouveau", "petit" and "gros". Whenever possible, however, new names should be distinctive.

NOTES:

1. In the Atlantic Provinces numerous places are distinguishable by qualifying terms, such as Lower Hainesville, Central Hainesville and Upper Hainesville in New Brunswick, and Leading Tickles South and Leading Tickles West in Newfoundland. Lakes and islands are often distinguishable by qualifying terms, such as Big Quill Lake and Little Quill Lake in Saskatchewan, Cornwallis Island and Little Cornwallis Island in the Northwest Territories, and Lac Marsoui and Petite lac Marcoui in Quebec.
2. When a specific of a name occurs frequently it is often useful to append an area name to the name in use.
   
   

   a) White Lake occurs frequently in Eastern Ontario. In 1948 one of them was renamed Ashden Lake because it was partly in Ashby Township and partly in Denbigh Township. As the created name was not locally accepted, it was renamed Ashby White Lake in 1968.

3. Sometimes when the same community has developed in two parts, distinctive names are needed.
   
   

   a) Altona, Man., is a village two kilometers north of the original settlement, which is locally and officially called Old Altona.

Principle 14 - Names of Small Features

Except where local and historic usage dictates, the official approval of a name of a minor feature should be guided by the relative significance of the feature, the familiarity with the name, and the scale of mapping available.

NOTES:

1. Where features are extremely small (e.g. a two meter pillar on a mountain side), their names are not usually adopted for inclusion in gazetteers or for portrayal on maps. Such names, however, may be recorded as unapproved names in the national toponymic data base (Appendix 2).
2. In Canada, the occurrence of features deemed too small to have their names officially recognized is rare. Such named features usually are in rugged mountainous terrain. Otherwise, names for virtually all features on more level terrain and in Canada’s lakes, rivers and other water bodies may be approved for official use. Small underwater features, especiallythose deemed to be a danger to safe navigation are usually given official names.

Appendices

Appendix 1 - Guidelines for names outside Canada for official Canadian use

Appendix 2 - Guidelines for the application of mountain names

In 1985, the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names approved the following guidelines for the application of names of mountains, and related physical features:

Except where local and historic usage dictated otherwise:

1. Persons presenting names for mountains and related physical features must delineate them on the most appropriate scale of map prior to formal submission.
2. The coordinates of the named feature should be applied to the area within the highest contour. Where there are clusters of two or more highest contours, so that an individual high summit cannot be identified, the name should be applied to the highest contour enclosing them. Secondary features may be named separately provided the density of use and development of the area warrants such naming.
3. Names of minor features such as walls, gendarmes, chimneys, pillars, etc. normally should not be officially adopted, although they will be recorded as unapproved names in the national toponymic data base.
4. The generic should be appropriate to the shape of the feature e.g. tower, spire, peak, dôme, chaînon, butte, etc.
5. In English, the generic "mount" usually precedes the specific when such a feature is named for a person.
6. Plural forms, such as "peaks", should be avoided, unless it is impractical to do so.

Appendix 3 - Official languages and geographical names on federal government maps

Treasury Board Circular No. 1983-58

November 23, 1983

Purpose

To set out guidelines on the use of the official languages in Canadian geographical names on federal government maps and charts.

Application

These guidelines apply to all departments and agencies in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Public Service Relations Act, as well as Crown Corporations listed in Schedules ’B’ and ’C’ of the Financial Administration Act.

Introduction

The guidelines flow from a number of major considerations. First, of course, are the provisions of the Official Languages Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Government policy must therefore ensure members of both official language groups using federal maps and charts have their needs met in a consistent manner. The use of names on federal maps and charts is also an important element in creating a national image, one that portrays Canada as a country whose heritage is shared by members of both official language groups.

Names on federal maps ought generally to conform to the names found in legal documents, on highway signs, etc., that is, the names chosen by provincial authorities in their territories, and by federal authorities in areas under their jurisdiction. In addition, the names of cites, towns and municipalities that have been incorporated provinically have a legal status which should be recognized. The federal policy approach must finally take into account the requirements for effective and cost-efficient presentation of information on maps.

Present naming practices in Canada recognize the official languages to some extent; however, current federal maps do not consistently show both the English and French names of major Canadian geographical entities. Guidelines on official languages and geographical names which achieve this goal and meet the requirements discussed above have been developed following consultation with the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names, composed of representatives from ten provinces, the two territories, and the major federal institutions concerned, including the Translation Bureau.

For purpose of these guidelines, geographical entities of pan-Canadian significance with well- known forms in both official languages have been listed, including the largest entities in and around Canada, as well as those with national historical significance. These names are considered part of the Canadian national heritage.

The guidelines refer to federal government maps and charts. Regarding the related question of the use of geographical names in prose texts, it is to be noted that inquiries concerning the treatment of such names in texts in the other official language should continue to be addressed to the Translation Bureau’s Terminological Information Service (997-4363).

Guidelines

1. These guidelines come into force immediately for new maps; for maps now in print or being printed, they are to be implemented when other revisions are required.
2. Names of geographical entities of pan-Canadian significance having well-known forms in both official languages have been established by the President of the Treasury Board on the recommendation of the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names, and are listed in the appended Schedule. They are to appear in both their forms on a bilingual map, or, in the case of separate English and French versions of a map, in the from appropriate to the language of the map.
3. All other geographical names, including the names of cities, towns, and municipalities which have been incorporated provincially, are to appear on federal government maps in the forms adopted by the provincial or federal authorities in whose jurisdiction the entities lie; as far as federal institutions are concerned, such names are authorized for official use by the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names.
4. Existing official language policies regarding published materials continue to apply (see Administrative Policy Manual, Chapter 335 and Official Languages Circular 1982-58). Consequently, among other requirements, maps are to be available in both official languages if they are for use by members of both official language groups; for bilingual maps, all information contained in titles, legends, explanatory notes and descriptive labels is be displayed in both official languages; the quality of the content and of the format is to be the same in both versions.

Inquiries

Inquiries concerning geographical names in these guidelines may be directed to:

Secretariat

Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names

Natural Resources Canada

Inquiries concerning other aspects of these guidelines may be directed to:

Policy Division

Official Languages Branch

Treasury Board Secretariat

---

Schedule - Names of Pan-Canadian significance

Appendix 4 - Abbreviations and symbols for the names of the provinces and territories

General Procedures

1. How to propose a new name or a name change

Except in unusual circumstances neither the Board nor the provincial / territorial names authorities themselves initiate naming. Most new names approved are received from the general public and from organizations.

Individuals or organizations contemplating publication including geographical names which are not yet official, should submit proposals well in advance of publication dates. The consideration of new names may require considerable time, particularly when local investigation is required. The publication of unauthorized names will not necessarily result in their official recognition.

New proposals should be for particular geographical features.

The following information will facilitate prompt decisions:

1. reason for proposal;
2. location by latitude and longitude, either geographical coordinates or Universal Transverse Mercator grid coordinates;
3. identification on a map indicating precise extent;
4. photographs or sketches;
5. origin and meaning of name proposed.

Reliable, preferably documented, information concerning corrections in the use, spelling or application of toponyms on maps and charts, and in other publications is welcomed.

1. How to propose a new name or a name change

2. Where to inquire about policies and principles on naming, and about information on the origin and use of names and terminology

General inquiries about the Committee and its policies and publications, including the Gazetteer of Canada series, may be submitted to the Secretariat (at Natural Resources Canada).

Inquiries concerning names of specific features in the provinces and territories, suggestions for new names, corrections, and proposals for name changes may be directed to GNBC Members.