Dictionary of Canadian Place Names

John D. Blackwell is Reference Librarian/Collections Coordinator of the
Goldfarb Library at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

Canadian place names mirror the country’s diverse cultural and
linguistic heritage. They speak of pride, nostalgia, frivolity, and
tragedy. Consider, for example, Ailsa Craig, Bastard, Brockville,
Crapaud, Dieppe, Ecum Secum, Merigomish, and Punkeydoodles Corners.

Alan Rayburn, former Executive Secretary of the Canadian Permanent
Committee on Geographic Names (which began a century ago as the
Geographic Board of Canada) and a prolific author on Canadian toponymy,
has compiled this comprehensive and up-to-date volume on Canadian place
names.

The result of extensive and exacting research, Rayburn’s dictionary
contains alphabetically arranged entries on more than 5000 of the
nation’s villages, towns, cities, islands, lakes, rivers, mountains
and national parks. These entries refer to more than 1000 associated
toponyms. It is astonishing to realize that there are actually some
450,000 official place names in Canada.

In the volume’s preliminaries, the author carefully sets out his
criteria for place-name inclusion, outlines the organization of entry
contents, lists sources consulted, and explains abbreviations and
terminology used. He also provides an index of redesignated place names,
which refers the reader to the entry for the current name. This index is
a little tedious in that it does not refer one to the current name, only
the page on which the entry appears. Some readers may also find the
entries disappointingly brief; however, the introduction and list of
selected references suggest many excellent sources for locating
additional information.

Place names are constantly evolving. They reflect the ever-changing
landscape and the socio-political events shaping those geographical
transformations. Many communities across the country are being
amalgamated into larger regional municipalities. Old names are
disappearing and new ones coming into use.

The Dictionary of Canadian Place Names is the most current and
authoritative reference source on national toponymy and will prove
addictive reading for anyone with a penchant for names and their
origins.