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Nicknames for Canadian Towns

A friend of a friend needs help with a project:

I need help from those from away. I’m researching nicknames for canadian towns (e.g. Vancouver=Vansterdam,etc.; toronto=t.dot; Winnipeg=the ‘Peg). I’ve got a pretty good list, but it has holes. Can you scan the list and fill in if you’ve lived there or have connections there?

I’ve never heard anybody call Vancouver ‘Vansterdam’ nor Toronto “t.dot”, but maybe I’m not discussing Canadian urban geography with the right people. I’ve put the list of towns that she’s still seeking nicknames for after the jump. If the list ever makes it online, I’ll reference it.

Victoria
Kitimat
Prince Rupert
Nanaimo
Red Deer
Lethbridge
Banff/Canmore
Moose Jaw
Weyburn
Lloydminster
Flin Flon
Churchill
Portage la Prairie
Brandon
Selkirk
Thunder Bay
Sudbury
Windsor
London
Niagra Falls or On the Lake
Sarnia
Montreal
Quebec C.
Trois Rivieres
Chicoutimi
Shawinigan
Sherbrooke
Drummondville
Gatineau/Hull
Labrador City
Terrebonne
Saguenay
Moncton
St. John
Fredericton
Bathurst
Edmunston
Miramichi
Truro
Yarmouth
Annapolis Royal
Sackville
Happy Valley
Churchill Falls
St. John’s
Gander
Corner Brook
Mount Pearl
Whitehorse
Dawson City
Yellowknife
Hay River
Fort Smith
Tuktuyuktuk
Inuvik
Iqaluit
Rankin Inlet
Baker Lake
Spence Bay

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Darren Barefoot is an author, speaker and digital strategist. He’s the co-founder of Capulet Communications, and co-author of “Friends With Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook”.

107 comments

  1. Nanaimo is the Harbour City or the Hub City, depending on your allegiances to scenery and transportation/shopping.

  3. Moose Jaw = Moose Lips
    (I don’t live there, but I speak with people in that town daily on the phone and often it is called that.

    2 Other Saskatchewan towns slang names:

    Saskatoon = Toon-Town, Saska-Bush, hub-city, river-city

    Swift Current = Speedy Creek

  4. I’ve got my mom asking about Kitimat, since she lives there… The only thing she could think of was that the odd person has called it “Old Snowy”, in regards to the town name meaning “The Town of the Snows”, or something like that.

    I sometimes refer to the place as “The Mat”, but I’m a non-resident who just goes there for Christmas. There may be some nickname in reference to Alcan Aluminum, the company that pretty much built the town 50-something years ago.

    If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.

  6. Gill: I have a friend, a former Kitimat resident, who refers to it only as Shitimat. I’ve never been there myself, so I can’t speak to the veracity of that nickname.

  7. You’ve never heard anybody call Toronto T-dot? You haven’t listened to a lot of Canadian rap music, have you?

    Also, I’ve heard Vancouver called “Hongcouver”.

  8. I can only really remember Victoria being referenced as “Vic”, Vancouver managed the non-politically (and slightly racist) nic of Hongcouver due to the significant Asian population growth over the last few years. And growing up in Revelstoke we typically referred to it as “the hole” … but I suppose that is the case of many small interior cities, so lets go with ‘Stoke.

    This is a good idea, makes for an interesting read!

  11. Vansterdam is definitely in use. Google returns over 1600 hits. I’ve used it myself (not in casual conversation), and read it in news briefs.

    I don’t find Hongcouver particularly racist (disclaimer – I am not asian). It’s not like there’s an ethnic slur in there, or anything condescending. In the late 1990’s there was a huge influx of people from, you guessed it, Hong Kong. I’ve used Hongcouver before, and did not mean it in a derogitory way.

    Kitimat – yeah, I’ve heard Shitimat before. I went to high school in the nearest town to Kitimat. In high school, we usually called it some variant of “Horse-Fucker Central”, as there were a few incidents of people getting arrested for getting too friendly with their equine friends.

    Toronto – I’ve heard T-Dot a lot, and I don’t listen to canadian rap. Also, “Center of the Universe” gets brought up a lot.

    Prince Rupert – I know a few people from there, and have been there many times. Everyone I know just calls it “Rupert”.

    St. John’s / Mount Pearl – On Newfoundland TV/Radio, if you hear the term “Twin Cities”, it’s not referring to Minneapolis / St. Paul.

    Windsor – I’ve heard it referred to as “Detroit Junior” once or twice.

  15. BC –
    Victoria (Vic, City of the Not-Quite-Dead)
    Vancouver (The Big Smoke)

    Sask –
    Saskatoon (S’toon,
    Moose Jaw (The Hole, The Jaw, MooseJavia, 45 Minutes or 45)
    Regina (The Queen City)

  16. When I was little I couldn’t believe that they’d actually named a town “Regina.” I mean, didn’t they know that it sounded exactly like “vagina”?!? Seven-year-old me couldn’t believe it. Thanks to seven-year-old me, I still can’t hear “Regina” without giggling. Thanks, me.

    Also, everybody who lives in Victoria knows Vancouver as “the mainland.”

    Taranna, “the GTA” to locals
    Snottawa, “the capital region” to locals.

  19. Although Regina is commonly referred to as the Queen City, I prefer to call it “The City That Rhymes With Fun”…

  20. Nanaimochuk? My family has lived there since the 1800s and I’ve never heard that term.

    I do often wonder why The Vancouver Sun refers to a combination of white shirt, white pants, white belt, white shoes as a “Full Nanaimo”, though. Is it something to do with lawnbowling seniors? (Oddly enough, Google returns just 8 results…on sites for theatrical terms, Wil Wheaton’s homepage, and a few forums.)

  21. Sudbury – The Big Nickle
    Hamilton – Steeltown
    Sault Ste. Marie – The Soo

    I’ve also heard Halifax called “The ‘Fax”

  23. I concur with “Vic” for Victoria, although it’s also been called “Home of the Newly Wed and Nearly Dead” and “Behind The Tweed Curtain” (for Oak Bay, specifically).

    What an amusing project.

  24. I’ve seen and frequently use “Vic” and “Van”.

    Up north you’ve got ‘Rupert (already mentioned) and Charlotte (aka Queen Charlotte City – a village). Prince George is PG.

    You’ve got “Winterpeg”, or “the ‘Peg “in Manitoba
    and I’ve heard Toronto referred to as “T dot” as well “TO” (said T-oh).

  26. Don’t forget “the Wet Coast” when referring to either Van or Vic. Also: just as Van is referred to as “the mainland” in Vic, Vic is referred to as “the Island” in Van. Victoria news outlets also frequently use “the capital city” or “capital region” when talking about their city.

  29. Don’t forget “Cowgary” for Calgary, and “Deadmonton” or (as rightwingers tend to dismiss it) “Redmonton.” Red Deer sometimes gets the tag “Red Neck Deer.”

    As far as I know, I’ve only ever heard Prince Rupert referred to as “Rupert,” while Prince George gets “Prince.” Up there, you can refer to Vancouver as “Van” tout court, although that would get you run out of town down here.

    I remember “Hongcouver” from the early ’90’s at the height of the HK-to-Vancouver exodus, but that seems to have faded. Around the same time, the joke was that UBC stood for “University of a Billion Chinese.”

    And who could forget the Vancouver suburb of Slurrey? Local bus drivers used to grrumble about the curbs in Ditchmond until Richmond covered ’em all up. Torontonians, though, could turn their noses up at Scarberia until they got merged together.

    On the other hand, if you’re in Kitwancool, who needs a nickname?

    1. Calgary is more commonly called “cowtown” by any of us in the area. also, edmonton is often called “e-town”. Ive heard and called toronto “t.o” but im not sure if it is at all common on the east coast

  30. I’ve seen and used Monkeytown for Moncton. Despite having attended UNB Fredericton for 5 years, I never heard any nicknames for that city, although “we” did sometimes call it “Land of the Swivel Servants”.

    Truro has a big sign on the highway nearby saying “The Hub of Nova Scotia” – at least a few residents call it “The Armpit of Nova Scotia”.

  32. Fredericton = Freddiville

    St. John = the arm pit of New Brunswick (Irving refinery, though Nackawick also has a running start for that name (pulp and paper mill))

    Moncton’s tidal bore is called The total bore since they put the causeway up. (But I don’t think you’re looking for that.)

  33. Small correction – Saint John, NB is actually spelled out, not abbreviated … my friends from Saint John are very touchy about that

  34. St. John’s is known as Sin John’s.
    There’s a request also for Mount Pearl, but I’ve never heard a nickname for it, but anyone who isn’t a townie may remember that Paradise was also called Donovan’s and St. Thomas’ Line was called the Line. (I know neither Paradise nor St. Thomas’ Line are on the list, but …)

    I’ve also heard Toronto called Hog Town, and Calgary called Cow Town.

    Shawinigan has also been called Shagginwagon.

  35. As a new transplant to Alberta, I’m not sure how much these terms are used, however, people here appear to call Lethbridge, “the Bridge” or L.A. (I didn’t ask.) and Edmonton is “the Ditch.”

  36. Lethbridge = Windy city
    Medicine Hat = the Hat, Gastown (the gassy city if you’re feeling a bit caustic)
    Edmonton = Edmonchuck
    Red Deer = Dead Beer

  37. Halifax = Halfalax, The Fax, Hali-wood, Hali

    Dartmouth = The Darkside

    Sackville = Sucksville

    Port hawkesbury = the Hawk

    Sydney = The Tar Pond

  39. Toronto–T.O.
    And I once heard someone who’d been born in West Van refer to North Van as Surrey on a Slope.

  40. Brandon = Wheat City
    Portage la Prarie = plap (yes pronounce it the way it is written)

    there is also a small town in MB that is called Gladstone that a lot of ppl refer to as Happy Rock. and yes they have a big rock with a smily face painted on it.

    I’ll also second the vote for Toronto being called T-oh. I never heard it called t-dot, but I guess that must be a more recent thing.

  42. Didn’t “Vansterdam” as a pejorative for Vancouver come from members of the Bush Administration, particularly their so-called drug Czar, all of whom were more than a little upset, to say the least, by the inauguration of Vancouver’s safe injection site?

  43. Swift Current Saskatchewan is ”
    Speedy Creek”. Saskatoon is “Saskabush” Edmonton is Edmonchuck. Winnipeg is Winterpeg.Red Deer is Dead Rear.Portage la Prairie is PLAP.

  46. Some additional votes:
    Moose Jaw – The Jaw
    Regina – The Queen City
    Saskatoon – Stoon
    Sudbury – Sudsbury
    Niagara Falls – The Falls
    Niagara On The Lake – N.O.T.L.
    Winnipeg – The Peg, Winterpeg, The Windy City
    Toronto – T., TO, Hogtown, The Center Of Canada

  48. To the person who said
    “The ‘Naimo” I don’t think this is just your family that used that term! My family did the same.

    Living in Vancouver I have heard many nicknames:

    Vangroovy (terrible nic)
    Vancity
    Van-citz
    Hongcouver
    Lotus Land
    Terminal City (eg Terminal City Club)

    Many people on the mainland call the island “The Rock”

    Many people on the coast in general call Calgary “Cow-Gallery” as it is most definitely a gallery of cows.

    Living in victoria I have heard it being called:

    Hick-toria
    Victizzle
    Vic
    Bikutoria (named for the multitude of Japanese tourists in the summer)

  51. Belleville, Ontario is ‘Bellevegas’ (based on our main strip that is seen from the 401 with EVERYTHING on it.

  52. The only ones that matter are one hundred years old:

    Vancouver: Terminal City
    Toronto: Hogtown
    Montreal: La ville aux cent clochers

  53. Saint John (Referenced here as: St. John,) is known locally as Port City. This is due to our large ship/boat port. Local rap references it the most.

    – prez.

  54. I grew up in Oshawa, Ontario (east to TO [Toronto]) – affectionately, or disparagingly, referred to as The ‘Shwa.

  55. I grew up in prince rupert now i live in white rock.
    nick name that everyone knows here *Prince Rumors* i think it fits.:O

  62. Niagara Falls-honey-moon city, tourist trap, mini-las vegas, Viagra Falls
    thunder bay-T-Bay
    Hamilton-Hammer

  63. Moose Jaw:

    “Little Chicago” because of tunnels and Al Capone connection

    Tha Band Capital (there is a lot of band stuff that happens in Moose Jaw)

    The Jaw

  64. Being born in Edmonton and living there most my life, I’ve heard many.

    E-Town
    Deadmontown
    Redmonton
    Stabmonton

    In fact, the last one actually has it own facebook group now.

  66. Belleville = Bellevegas

    Toronto = The Big Smoke, T Dot

    Kingston = K town

    London = L dot

    Waterloo = Wawawoo

    Oshawa = The Shwa

  68. Tri Cities – Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge
    =
    Tri Sh*tties – Snitchener, Ratterloo, and Framebridge

    srsly.

  71. Halifax= Hali
    Kitchener= Kitch, K-town, K-Dub (w/ Waterloo)
    Toronto= t.o , t-dot, the dot, Megacity
    Scarborough= Scarberia , Scarlem
    Vancouver= Van City, Van, Vansterdam
    Montreal= Mount Real, Mo-real
    Prince George= PG, Prince
    Surrey= Slurery

  72. Scarborough is:
    Scarberia it’s far distance from the city, and seclusion, refering to siberia
    scarlem because of its black population, refering to harlem

  75. p.s. I’ve often heard Saint John NB referred to as “San Juan”, which is strange as there’s nothing Spanish about it. 😛

  76. St. John.s, Newfoundland & Labrador

    1) Sin City – this is due to some of the many Newfoundland accents pronouncing Saint as “Sin”. So first you call it Sin John’s and from that came Sin City

    2) Town – Comes from the fact that St. John’s was NL’s only city for a very long period of time. NLer’s who were leaving rural NL and going to St. John’s would say they were “going into town”. As this was pretty much the only urban centre or “town” in the province from incorporation til 1910, the “into” was removed and everyone was then just going to ‘Town’. The name has stuck and to this day “Town” is the most common nickname for St. John’s.

  77. I lived in a small hamlet which was and essentially still is a logging camp on Vancouver Island British Columbia called Woss. We refer to Woss as either “Wossangles” or “Woss Vegas”.

  78. I lived in a small hamlet which was and essentially still is a logging camp on Vancouver Island British Columbia called Woss. We refer to Woss as either “Wossangles” or “Woss Vegas”.
    I also spent some time in FT. St. John B.C. we refered to it as “The John”.
    Grand Forks B.C. is also known as “The Forks” or “Grand Spoons”.

  80. Sydney is also known as Skidney to some. And Dartmouth is either known as the Darkside or as Dirtmouth. Halifax is sometimes referred to for people from outside of it simply as “the city”. Say this to any mainlander Nova Scotian and they know what you are talking about.

  81. I hav elived and/or gone to school in all these places and have heard the following over the years!

    Vancouver = The Couve, Vancouvah, Hongcouver, Van

    Moose Jaw = The Jaw, Moose Juice, MJay, Moose Javia

    Saskatoon = Suckatown, Bridge City, Saskabush, Rivertown, Toon Town, Hub City, Stoon, Saskaberry

    Regina = Qeen City, The Rez, Rezgina, The Flats, Moccasin Flats, Wascana, Pile O Bones

    Toronto = T Dot, T., TO, Torawnta

    Winnipeg = Winterpeg, Wienerpeg, Winterpig, Whinerpeg, The Peg, The Windy City

    And my favorite …

    White Rock = Living in White Rock means never having to say you’re Surrey.

  82. Hamilton – The Hammer
    Mississauga – The Sausage
    Scarborough – Scarberia
    Brampton – Bramladesh

  84. Calgary – C-Spot || CGY
    Edmonton – Edmonsuck
    Montreal – City of Saints
    Ottawa – O-Town || NCR (National Capital Region – includes Gatineau)

  85. Sudbury – Nickel City or Nickeldale (although that’s also the name of a neighborhood in the city)

  87. I’ve never heard anyone call it “Snottawa” before, but if you’ve ever met people from the Glebe or Westboro it certainly seems to be appropriate in that context.

    Seriously. It’s like if you move to either of those parts of the city, you automatically turn into a dick.

    Ottawa: O-Town, the Big O, O-C (as in Ottawa-Carleton)
    Brockville: Brock-vegas
    Kingston: K-Town, The Rock

  88. Hamilton H-town
    Waterloo – The loo, loop
    Toronto- T dot, T.O
    Vancouver- VanCity
    Mississauga- Sauga
    Brampton – B-town

  91. I’m surprised that “Vangroovy” came up only once for Vancouver, and that nobody has mentioned “Hammertown” for Hamilton, which may actually be more common than “The Hammer”…

  95. Trois Rivieres == “Three Creeks” (or, if you pronounce it with too much of a French accent, “Tree Creeks”)
    (at least from when I lived there in the 70s)

  96. DARTMOUTH, NS – D TOWN , DIRTY D ,
    SASKATOON, SK – SASKY
    COLE HARBOUR, NS – CTOWN , COLD ‘ARBOUR

  100. I’ve heard residents of Red Deer call the place Dead Rear which I always thougt was appropriate 🙂

  101. Val d’Or (Qc) = La Vallée de l’Or (Gold Valley)
    Ottawa: O-town
    Montreal: the Metropole
    Qc: The Capital

  102. Heyo, Truro is sometimes called “Little T” or “Little T-dot”. But more commonly it’s referred to as “Hubtown”.

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