Great place names

[aurillia]

I keep coming across really interesting or beautiful or cool-sounding place names in Canada. Don't get me wrong, Australia has some beauties, but I just wanted to share some of my favourites here.

Etobicoke - a suburb of Toronto, pronounced "E-toe-bee-ko" - how cool is that?!
Sault Ste. Marie - a town in Ontario, considered to be depressing because

Comments

[kat_nic]

Well my family used to live in a place called Yuchi Reservation (pronounced You-chee). It used to be an Indian reservation, until all the Native Americans were sent West. Then someone developed it and turned it into a golf course and a fishing lake, and the owner asked my parents to live there and be the caretakers/managers. I found it a very sad place. I'm glad we don't live there anymore.

There's another place called Uchee Creek (pronounced OO-chee) that's now a campground. I'm pretty sure they were the same tribe, but I'm mot positive. When my dad went back to school for his Masters in history he did his thesis on all the Native American tribes in our area. He'd know.

[aurillia]

Turning anything into a golf course is tragic.

[kat_nic]

I know. I used to freak myself out by imagining that there was a secret burial ground underneath the fairways and that one day the spirits of the dead would rise up in vengeance and try to chase us out like in the movie Poltergeist. Damn my overactive imagination!

[aurillia]

It's kinda hilarious, in a way, to think a glossy green, neat golf course can be as scary as a dark old abandoned mansion covered with ivy, or a cemetary at dusk.

I'll take the over-active imagination any day! :)

[nobutterflies]

How about Mississauga (the only other 'mississ-' word I know is Mississippi; perhaps they share linguistic roots?). Everyone says "miss-siss-SAW-gah" but it's really supposed to be "mizz-izz-AWE-gee" or something like that.

When I was in New Brunswick, I visited a beautiful place called Tetagouche Falls. And I also like the sound of Moose Jaw, in Saskatchewan.

[aurillia]

I didn't know that about Mississauga. But I just go along with everyone else! Though, I had a lot of trouble pronouncing "Bloor" (as in Bloor Street) when I arrived, and I still pronounce Ontario the British way - On-tar-rio - rather than the NA way, which Adam finds cute for some reason.

I just came across Moose Jaw about ten minutes ago - that's another great one!

[nobutterflies]

Oh, did you first pronounce Bloor "blur"? I knew someone who did that too.

[aurillia]

You know, I can't even remember anymore. I think I had trouble getting my tongue around it. I hope I didn't say "blur", that sounds pretty silly!

[anonymous]

Can't beat Saskatoon (in Sas-cat-chew-on, btw).

Also, Nanaimo... in British Columbia.

Chris
http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.com

[aurillia]

Nanaimo is great. I always want to eat that word! Saskatoon does that funny thing with your lips, like you're crooning!

[nobutterflies]

Mmm...Nanaimo bars...

[artemisiabrisol]

I've always loved Sault Saint Marie as well and you've written a lovely description of it.

Other names I loved are Okotoks, Pinoka, Firenze (Or Florence), Bristol and Hay-on-Wye (which sounds like a delicious sandwich but is instead the second hand bookshop capital of the UK which is just as sweet!).

[aurillia]

Those names are gorgeous - I love the Hay-on-Wye too! Pinoka sounds fascinating.

[littleblueghost]

Useless Loop in WA is a great one too!!

The Porungerups - again WA, and Innaloo (yes, pronounced in a loo!!). Merridin and Meekatharra (not so sure on the spelling).

I think Labrador and Newfoundland are entertaining as the dogs were from there :D

[aurillia]

"Useless Loop"? You're taking the piss, surely?

The Aboriginal place names are the best. They just roll off the tongue with such character, don't they? Oh, and Innaloo is so cute! Never heard of it either, though - but then, I only know about two places in WA. Sad, huh?

[littleblueghost]

no, no, it is real I assure you - although the google map places the town in the middle of the estuary (see a map here

There are some great names in WA. What are the 2 places that you know?

[aurillia]

*blushes*

Perth and Freemantle.