List of city nicknames in Canada

This partial list of city nicknames in Canada compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders or their tourism boards or chambers of commerce.

City nicknames can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community because of its nickname; promote civic pride; and build community unity.^[1] They are also believed to have economic value, but their economic value is difficult to measure.^[1]

Some unofficial nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide use.

Contents 1 Cities by province 1.1 Alberta 1.2 British Columbia 1.3 Manitoba 1.4 New Brunswick 1.5 Nova Scotia 1.6 Newfoundland and Labrador 1.7 Ontario 1.8 Prince Edward Island 1.9 Quebec 1.10 Saskatchewan 2 Cities by territory 2.1 Northwest Territories 2.2 Nunavut 2.3 Yukon 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Cities by province

Alberta

• Calgary
  • "Cow Town" or "Cowtown" ^[2]
  • "The Stampede City" ^[3]
  • "The Heart of The New West", official city slogan ^[4]
  • "The 403"
  • "C-Town" ^[5][6][7][8]

• Edmonton
  • "The City of Champions",^[9] official city slogan
  • "Festival City" ^[10]
  • "The Chuck" or "Edmonchuk",^[11][12] in reference to Edmonton's large Ukrainian population
  • "The Big E" ^[13]
  • "E-Town"
  • "Deadmonton",^[11][14] a disparaging term used by British media during the 2001 World Championships in Athletics (although the term was coined earlier), painting Edmonton as a boring place, and re-emerging in 2011 due to an increasing amount of homocides
  • "Redmonton",^[15] for Edmonton provincial and federal ridings' tendency to vote more Liberal candidates per capita than other jurisdictions in Alberta
  • "Oil Country"
  • "The Big Onion", a reference to the large Ukrainian population and a play off of NYC's nickname The Big Apple

• Fort McMurray
  • "Fort Mac"
  • "Fort Crack"
  • "Fort MacMoney"
  • "Fort McMordor", a reference to the nearby Athabasca Oil Sands
  • "The Big Mac", a reference to the lucrative prospects in the Oil Sands
  • "The Mac", as called by Tron in FUBAR 2

• Lloydminster
  • "Floydminster"
  • "Border City"
  • "Meridian City"
• Medicine Hat
  • "Saamis", Medicine Hat's original name, a Blackfoot word for the feather headdress of the tribal Medicine Man^[16]
  • "The Hat"
  • "The City with All Hell for a Basement", a quote from Rudyard Kipling regarding the fact that Medicine Hat has a vast natural gas field beneath it, which was also further used by the band Big Sugar in the song "All Hell for a Basement", once again referring to Kipling's quote^[17]
  • "The Gas City", official city slogan ^[18]

• Red Deer
  • "Dead Rear", a spoonerism

• Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
  • "Rotten Monkey House"

British Columbia

• Abbotsford
  • "City in the Country"
  • "The Raspberry Capital of Canada"
  • "The Ford"
  • "Abby"

• Campbell River
  • "Grease Town"^[19]

• Castlegar
  • "C-Gar"
  • "The Gar"

• Chilliwack
  • "The Wack"

• Courtenay
  • "C-Town"

• Duncan
  • "D-Town"

• Kamloops
  • "The Rainbow City"
  • "The Tournament Capital"
  • "The Loops"

• Kelowna
  • "K-Town"
  • "Sun City"

• Langford
  • "Gangford"
  • "Langhole"

• Nanaimo
  • "Harbour City"^[20]
  • "The Hub City"

• Nanoose Bay
  • "Most Profitable Gas Station on the Island"

• Nelson
  • "The Queen City"

• New Westminster
  • "New West"

• Oliver
  • "Wine Capital of Canada"^[21]

• Penticton
  • "The Pen"
  • "The Peach City"
  • "Ticky"

• Port Alberni
  • "Salmon Capital of the World"

• Port Coquitlam
  • "Po-Co"

• Powell River
  • "Pearl of the Sunshine Coast"
  • "P-Riv"

• Squamish
  • "Mother of the Wind"
  • "Squatamala"
  • "Squawesome"
  • "Squambodia"
  • "Squamps"
  • "Little Windy"
  • "Squampton"
  • "Squamolia"
  • "Squish"

• Surrey
  • "Surreylanka"
  • "Slurrey"
  • "City of Parks" ^[22]
  • "Browntown", referring to Surrey's large Indian population

• Tofino
  • "Tuff"
  • "Tuff City"

• Trail
  • "Home of Champions"
  • "Silver City"

• Vancouver
  • "The Big Smoke", Vancouver was once called the Big Smoke because of the mills and processing plants in the earliest days of the incorporated city
  • VanCity ^[3]
  • "Gastown", a historic title and now a Vancouver neighbourhood ^[3]
  • "Hollywood North",^[23] in reference to the city's large film and television industry, sometimes also used to refer to Toronto
  • "Hongcouver", a reference to the large Asian population, considered derogtory by some
  • "Terminal City",^[24] Vancouver's original name, given for its location at the western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway completed in 1885^[25]
  • "Van"
  • "Vansterdam", a reference to the city's prominent drug culture
  • "Eurocouver", a reference to the city's large number of European immigrants
  • "City of Glass"
  • "Lotusland", coined by Vancouver Sun writer Allan Fotheringham referencing Homer's Odyssey
  • "YVR", in reference to the Vancouver International Airport

• Victoria
  • "The Little Smoke", in contrast with Vancouver being called the Big Smoke
  • "The Garden city"
  • "Vic City"
  • "Capital City"
  • "Chicktoria", the colleges & universities attract many females from other places
  • "City of Newly Weds and Nearly Deads", larger numbers of seniors or young families as the 2 extremes in demographics
  • "City of Love and Death", 2 extremes of the old or very young, few in betweens

Manitoba

• Brandon
  • "The Wheat City"

• Thompson
  • "Hub of the North"
  • "Nickel City"

• Winnipeg
  • "Winterpeg" ^[26]
  • "Gateway to the West" ^[27]
  • "The Peg" ^[28]
  • "Slurpee Capital of the World"
  • "The 2-0-4"
  • "Negativipeg", said by Winnipegger Burton Cummings after he was assaulted at a 7-Eleven ^[29]
  • "Floodipeg"

New Brunswick

• Fredericton
  • "Freddy Beach"

• Moncton
  • "Monkey Town"
  • "Hub City"
  • "Metro", often used locally by various news media and includes the surrounding areas of Riverview and Dieppe

Nova Scotia

• Amherst
  • "Busy Amherst", named from the arrival of the Intercolonial Railway creating an economic boom lasting through World War I opening numerous foundries, factories and mills

• Canso
  • "Oldest Fishing Port on Mainland North America"

• Dartmouth
  • "City of Lakes", boasting 23 lakes
  • "The Darkside"
  • "Darkness"

• Digby
  • "The Scallop Capital of The World"

• Halifax
  • "Dalifax", a reference to Dalhousie University
  • "Hali", a reference to the LL Cool J song "Goin' Back to Cali"
  • "HFX", a reference to the City of Halifax
  • "HRM", the often locally used abbreviation of the Halifax Regional Municipality
  • "The Fax"

• Kentville
  • "The Devil's Half Acre", after developing a reputation for rowdy drinking and horseraces in the early 19th century

• Liverpool
  • "Port of the Privateers"

• Oxford
  • "Wild Blueberry Capital of Canada"

• Pictou
  • "Birthplace of New Scotland"

• Port Hawkesbury
  • "Cape Breton's Front Porch"

• Shelburne
  • "Where Canada's History Comes Alive"

• St. Peter's
  • "Gateway to the Bras d'Or"

• Stewiacke
  • "Halfway between the North Pole and the Equator"

• Sydney
  • "The Steel City", a reference to the former City of Sydney's history as a mining city
  • "Baile Shidni", a Gaelic term for the City of Sydney
  • "CBRM", the often locally used abbreviation of Cape Breton Regional Municipality
  • "Community of Communities", a nickname for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality

• Truro
  • "Hub of Nova Scotia"

• Westville
  • "The Gateway to Northern Nova Scotia"

• Wolfville
  • "First Fair Trade Town"
  • "Mud Creek", a previous name for Wolfville
  • "Horton", a previous name for Wolfville

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Bishop's Falls
  • "The Ship""
  • "The Bish"

• St. John's
  • "Newfiejohn", a nickname given by American servicemen in World War II [10]
  • "The City of Legends"
  • "Sin City"
  • "The City of Ocean Excellence"
  • "Sin Jawns" [11]
  • "Town", as St. John's is the only major urban area in Newfoundland, going across the island to "town" is heading to St. John's [12]

Ontario

• Bancroft
  • "The Mineral Capital of Canada"

• Belleville
  • "The Friendly City"
  • "Bell-vegas"

• Brampton
  • "Flower City"
  • "Browntown"
  • "Bramladesh"
  • "B-Town"

• Cambridge
  • "The Tri-City", referring to the adjacent cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge

• Durham Region
  • "The Durr"

• Goderich
  • "The Prettiest Town in Canada", derived from a comment made by Queen Elizabeth II
  • "Godrock"

• Guelph, Ontario
  • G-Spot

• Hamilton
  • "The Hammer"
  • "Hammertown"
  • "Steeltown"
  • "Hamildump"

• Kitchener
  • "K-W", when referring jointly to the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo
  • "K-Dub"
  • "The Tri-City", referring to the adjacent cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge

• Kingston
  • "K-town"
  • "Limestone City"
  • "Kingstonia"

• London
  • "The Forest City"^[30]
  • "London Town"
  • "L-Town"

• Mississauga
  • "Sauga"
  • "Sauga City"
  • "Mrs.Sauga"
  • "Mistersauga" or "Mr.Sauga"
  • "The Sausage"
  • "MSS"

• Niagara Falls
  • "The World's Most Famous Address"

• North Bay
  • "Gateway to the North" ^[31]
  • "Gateway City" ^[31]
  • "Smoothie Capital of the World" ^[32]
  • "Shadfly Capital"

• Oakville
  • "The OC"
  • "Oakville County"
  • "Joke-Vile", a tongue-in-cheek nickname used by college students
  • "The Oaks"

• Oshawa
  • "The Dirty Shwa" ^[33]

• Ottawa
  • "Bytown", the city's official name prior to 1855; still used as a nickname in the media^[34]
  • "O-Town" [13]
  • "Capital City"
  • "The N.C.", referring to the initials of the "National Capital"
  • "O-Dot"

• Peterborough
  • "PeterPatch"
  • "P-Dot"

• Sarnia
  • "Narnia"
  • "Sarn-Hole"
  • "Chemical Valley", named for the petrochemical industry in the area
  • "The Imperial City", named after Imperial Oil and its influence on the City
  • "Bluewater Country"

• Sault Ste Marie
  • "The Sault"
  • "The Soo" ^[35]
  • "Lock City"

• Scarborough (Note: Scarborough merged into the City of Toronto in 1999)
  • "Scarberia", a derogatory nickname based on Scarborough's reputation a barren, faraway land to the east of Toronto ^[36]
  • "Scarlem", a derogatory nickname which associates Scarborough with the inner-city crime of Harlem, New York ^[37]
  • "Scartown"

• St. Catharines
  • "St. Kitts"

• Sudbury
  • "Sudz"
  • "Scudz"
  • "Nickel City"

• Thunder Bay
  • "The Lakehead"
  • "T-Bay"
  • "Superior by Nature"

• Timmins
  • "The City with the Heart of Gold" / "La ville au coeur d'or"^[38]

• Toronto (see also Name of Toronto)
  • "Queen City" ^[3]
  • "Methodist Rome"
  • "Hogtown" ^[39]
  • "T.O.",^[40] derived from Toronto, Ontario
  • "The 4-1-6", a reference to the original area code for Toronto, as compared with "the 9-0-5", which is the area code for much of the outlying suburbs
  • "T-Dot"^[40]
  • "The Big Smoke"^[41]
  • "T-Dot-O-Dot"
  • "Toronto the Good"
  • "Trons"
  • "The Centre of the Universe", a tongue-in-cheek name used to poke fun at Toronto's narcissistic attitude.
  • "Trauma"
  • "Trana"
  • "El Toro" ^[42]

• Waterloo
  • "K-W", when referring jointly to the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo
  • "K-Dub"
  • "The 'Loo" ^[43]
  • "The Tri-City", referring to the adjacent cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge
  • "Waterwoo", a racist reference to the high number of Asian residents, especially students

• Windsor
  • "Rose City"
  • "Motor City C-A", in relations to Detroit, Michigan's nickname of "Motor City U-S-A"
  • "Sin City of the North"
  • "The Dub"
  • "The Dirty South"

Prince Edward Island

• Charlottetown
  • "Town"
  • "C-town"
  • "The Birthplace of Confederation"

• Crapaud
  • "Craptown"

• Georgetown
  • "G-town"
  • "The Capital of Kings County"

• Kensington
  • "K-town"
  • "The Town of One Intersection"

• Montague
  • "Montague the Beautiful"
  • "The Big Real Town"
  • "Mountaintown"

• Souris
  • "Gateway to the Maggies"
  • "The Town Up East"

• Summerside
  • "S-side"
  • "The Big West"
  • "Second City"

Quebec

• Gatineau
  • "Got-No", a tongue-in-cheek nickname used to poke fun at Gatineau's economic status compared to Ottawa's.

• Hull (Amalgamated with Gatineau in 2002)
  • "Hell"
  • "Ottawa North"

• Montreal
  • "The City of Saints" ^[3]
  • "The 5-1-4", after its original area code
  • "Real City"
  • "La Metropole", French for "The Metropolis"
  • "Sin City", a historical nickname from the prohibition-era
  • "MTL"
  • "Mount Real"
  • "La Belle Ville"

• Quebec City
  • "La Vieille Capitale"

Saskatchewan

• Prince Albert
  • "P.A."
  • "Gateway to the North"
  • "The Forest City"

• Moose Jaw
  • "Band City" ^[44]
  • "Little Chicago" ^[45]
  • moose juice^[46]

• Regina
  • "The Queen City" ^[47]
  • "Pile-'O-Bones", Cree for "Wascana"^[48]
  • "The QC"
  • "The Vag"
  • "The City that Rhymes with Fun"
  • "The City that Smells like it Sounds"

• Saskatoon
  • "Hub City"
  • "Paris of the Prairies" ^[49]
  • "Saskabush" ^[50]
  • "Toontown"^[51]
  • "S'toon" (pronounced stoon)
  • "City of Bridges"
  • "Toon Town"
  • "POW City"

• Swift Current
  • "Speedy Creek" ^[52]

Cities by territory

Northwest Territories

Nunavut

• Iqaluit
  • "The Big Icicle"
  • "The Frozen Fish"

Yukon

See also

• List of Canadian provinces' largest cities
• List of provincial and territorial nicknames in Canada

References

External links

• a list of American and a few Canadian nicknames