Nicknames for Canadian Towns

November 2nd, 2004

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Canada

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

Comments: 106 Responses so far

Andrea
November 2nd, 2004
12:17 pm

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

erik Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 2:36 pm

we called it “le naims” back in high school

heather
November 2nd, 2004
12:21 pm

nanaimo = nanaimochuk
thunder bay = lakehead

Jeff
November 2nd, 2004
12:32 pm

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

gill
November 2nd, 2004
12:32 pm

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.

Martine
November 2nd, 2004
12:49 pm

Quebec City is “La Vieille Capitale”. Kind of boring, but that’s what they call it.

Montreal is “La MÃ©tropole”.

Darren
November 2nd, 2004
12:54 pm

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.

Richard
November 2nd, 2004
1:02 pm

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”.

Cameron Bahan
November 2nd, 2004
1:03 pm

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!

Krishen
November 2nd, 2004
1:07 pm

Canadian rap, and the Toronto drum-and-bass scene say “t-dot”, too.

alexis
November 2nd, 2004
1:24 pm

Lloydminster is known as “Lloyd” or the “Border City.” I hate Lloyd. It’s a total hole.

Chris
November 2nd, 2004
1:25 pm

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.

alexis
November 2nd, 2004
1:26 pm

Montreal is also known as “La Belle Ville” or “Sin City.”

alexis
November 2nd, 2004
1:28 pm

Saskatoon- City of Bridges
Paris on the Prairies
Toon town
The Hub city

davin
November 2nd, 2004
1:33 pm

victoria = v-dot.

Shane
November 2nd, 2004
1:46 pm

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)

'nee
November 2nd, 2004
1:58 pm

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.

NorthVanDan
November 2nd, 2004
1:59 pm

Vancouver = Terminal City
Vancouver = Lotusland
Vancouver = VanCity

'nee
November 2nd, 2004
2:00 pm

… that list reads like a Tragically Hip album crossed with a Stompin’ Tom’s entire repetoir.

Mista Bastard
November 2nd, 2004
2:01 pm

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

Andrea
November 2nd, 2004
3:09 pm

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.)

Rebecca
November 2nd, 2004
3:55 pm

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

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

alexis
November 2nd, 2004
4:03 pm

Since someone is talking about Regina, I thought I should mention “Vagina, snaskatchewan.”

Sue
November 2nd, 2004
5:43 pm

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.

Adriana
November 2nd, 2004
6:04 pm

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).

Dan
November 2nd, 2004
6:28 pm

Mississauga = Sauga

bree
November 2nd, 2004
6:46 pm

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.

Anonymous
November 2nd, 2004
8:22 pm

prince rupert = rinse rupert

Cheryl
November 2nd, 2004
8:44 pm

We refer to Nanaimo as “The Naimo” but I think that is just a family in-joke.

Ian King
November 2nd, 2004
10:26 pm

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?

brett streeper Reply:
January 10th, 2010 at 10:23 am

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

Mike
November 3rd, 2004
5:19 am

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”.

Tiffany
November 3rd, 2004
6:51 am

Winterpeg, Manicolda

Mimi
November 3rd, 2004
8:37 am

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.)

Mimi
November 3rd, 2004
8:39 am

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

Liz
November 3rd, 2004
8:51 am

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.

gwendolyn
November 3rd, 2004
1:01 pm

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.”

whozzat
November 3rd, 2004
1:28 pm

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

Chris
November 3rd, 2004
1:56 pm

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

Dartmouth = The Darkside

Sackville = Sucksville

Port hawkesbury = the Hawk

Sydney = The Tar Pond

Spike
November 3rd, 2004
2:23 pm

Kelowna is K-Town!

M.
November 5th, 2004
1:26 am

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

john
November 6th, 2004
10:22 am

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.

robyn
November 9th, 2004
12:51 pm

Vancouver = The ‘couv
Edmonton = E-town
Toronto = T-Oh

cee
November 10th, 2004
2:47 pm

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?

Richard
May 24th, 2006
2:08 pm

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.

brent
August 26th, 2006
12:54 am

Miramichi New Brunswick is known as “The Chi”

kathryn
September 22nd, 2006
1:35 pm

sudbury is often referred to as “the suds”

Sam
January 1st, 2007
11:51 am

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

Corey
February 19th, 2007
5:06 pm

Fredericton – Freddie Beach
Saint John – Port City
Halifax – Hali

Copycat
March 6th, 2007
3:23 pm

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)

sarah
March 27th, 2007
3:31 pm

Halifax: along with the ones from above, ” Halifornia” is also common

sarah
April 4th, 2007
4:00 pm

Hamilton… THE HAMMER.

Ryan Williams
April 20th, 2007
8:05 am

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

David M.
July 24th, 2007
8:57 pm

The only ones that matter are one hundred years old:

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

prez
August 31st, 2007
5:52 pm

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.

Lou
September 27th, 2007
2:23 pm

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

brooklyn
October 25th, 2007
4:20 pm

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

Dan
November 10th, 2007
8:11 pm

Kenora is “The Big Pine Cone.”

Lisa
November 18th, 2007
8:12 pm

Portage la Prairie is Portage

Lisa
November 18th, 2007
8:23 pm

Scarborough =Scarberia

Erin
December 28th, 2007
10:53 pm

London = The Forest City

Jo
January 30th, 2008
3:19 pm

Medicine Hat = The Hat

Jo
January 30th, 2008
3:21 pm

Oh, and Lethbridge was always referred to as LA, at least in the Hat anyway…

Veronica
April 25th, 2008
7:50 pm

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

Darlene
May 14th, 2008
7:12 am

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

Nathan
July 3rd, 2008
8:02 pm

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.

J
July 22nd, 2008
12:47 pm

Regina =
The Queen City
The QC
The Vag (sigh)

Ryan
July 24th, 2008
7:08 am

Belleville = Bellevegas

Toronto = The Big Smoke, T Dot

Kingston = K town

London = L dot

Waterloo = Wawawoo

Oshawa = The Shwa

qtpie
August 19th, 2008
9:08 pm

montreal–> MTL

Slaya
August 29th, 2008
9:40 am

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

srsly.

diz
September 7th, 2008
7:45 pm

kitchener- waterloo = k-dub

diz
September 7th, 2008
7:48 pm

Scarborough= Scarlem
Etobicoke= E to bud to coke

opg
September 7th, 2008
8:07 pm

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

hexel
September 7th, 2008
8:27 pm

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

yves
September 14th, 2008
5:21 pm

moncton = hub city, mton
fredericton= fton

Tanya
September 18th, 2008
4:50 pm

Fredericton is by far called “Freddy Beach” most often – I can’t believe no one posted this!

Tanya
September 18th, 2008
4:53 pm

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

Jon
November 10th, 2008
5:11 am

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.

Ken
November 11th, 2008
3:47 pm

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”.

Ken
November 11th, 2008
3:55 pm

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”.

tom
January 6th, 2009
6:28 pm

Truro- Tdot NS; The armpit of Nova Scotia; the Hub; Hubtown

Halifax- the fax, Haliwood

tom
January 6th, 2009
6:42 pm

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.

michelle Reply:
November 26th, 2010 at 3:26 pm

Dartmouth even has a real biker motorcycle club called the Darksiders MC

ToonTownie
January 28th, 2009
4:49 pm

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.

Steve
July 15th, 2009
4:39 am

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

Anonyme
July 15th, 2009
7:18 am

Montreal = MTL

Horatio
July 22nd, 2009
11:53 am

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

russel
July 28th, 2009
7:34 am

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

Adie
August 24th, 2009
9:52 am

Saskatoon- Stoon.
Esterhazy- The Haze.

Matt
October 14th, 2009
6:49 pm

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

Tinbitz
October 25th, 2009
5:07 pm

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

rebecca
December 6th, 2009
10:25 am

dartmouth, ns – dirty d

dave
December 26th, 2009
11:44 pm

Toronto = 2ron2

Steven
January 6th, 2010
5:47 pm

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”…

Sam
March 20th, 2010
6:50 pm

Guelph, Ontario is known as the G-spot in student circles.

saskfem
July 15th, 2010
2:36 pm

Swift Current, Saskatchewan; aka Speedy Creek

paul g.
July 21st, 2010
6:54 pm

Vancouver: San Francouver; Hollywood North

Salmon Arm: Salmon Armpit, the armpit of Canada.

Brian
August 10th, 2010
2:39 pm

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)