This partial list of provincial and territorial nicknames in Canada compiles the

nicknames A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...

s, and

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...

s that the provinces and territories are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to provincial and territorial governments, local people, outsiders,

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

boards, or

chambers of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

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

Provinces

Alberta

* "The Energy Province" — Alberta produces most of Canada's crude oil and

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...

, as well as a large share of its

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

. * "The Sunshine Province" * "Berta" * "Texas of the North" — referring to Alberta's significance as an oil producer in Canada, similar to that of Texas to the US. The name is also used in reference to the province notably leaning to the

political right Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, auth ...

, comparable to Texas. * "Wild Rose Country" — currently used on its license plates.

British Columbia

* "B.C." * "Beautiful British Columbia" — currently used on its license plates. * " The Left Coast" — a name shared with the

U.S. West Coast The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...

, referring to the region notably leaning politically left. * "The Pacific Province" * "Super, Natural, British Columbia" — dated, official provincial slogan, formerly seen on license plates.

Manitoba

* "The 204" — referring to the province's original area code. * "Canada's Heart Beats" — Travel Manitoba's current slogan since 2014. * "Friendly Manitoba" — currently used on its license plates. * "Manisnowba" — a blend between ''Manitoba'' and ''snow'' because of how snowy the province can get. * "The Keystone Province" — due to its position in the center of Canada. * "The Postage Stamp Province" — in its original form upon joining

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical iss ...

, Manitoba's size and shape resembled a

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...

when viewed a map of Canada. The name faded after the province's boundaries were extended in 1881 and 1912. * "Sunny Manitoba" — formerly used on its license plates from 1971–1975. * "Toba" — unofficial name used by several organizations.

Ontario

* "The Heartland Province" * "Land O'Lakes" * "The Loyalist Province" — referring to

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North Americ ...

(what is now Ontario) being one of the main destinations for

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

fleeing the United States during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. * "The Province of Opportunity" — dated, official provincial slogan, formerly seen on provincial highway construction project signs. * "A Place to Grow" (and ) — briefly used on license plates in 2020, originally from the unofficial provincial anthem. * " A Place to Stand" — after the eponymous 1967 film made for the provincial pavilion at

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

, later used for the unofficial provincial anthem. * "Yours to Discover" (and ) — used on license plates issued since 1982. “The Great Lake Province”

New Brunswick

* "The Picture Province" — currently used on its license plates. * "Petit Québec" * “The Drive Through Province”

Newfoundland and Labrador

* "Canada's Happy Province" — used on its license plates in 1968. * "The Big Land" (

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

) * "The Rock"

Nova Scotia

* "Canada's Ocean Playground" — currently used on its license plates * "Land of the Mi'kmaq" (

Miꞌkmaꞌki Miꞌkmaꞌki or Miꞌgmaꞌgi is composed of the traditional and current territories, or country, of the Miꞌkmaq people, in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada. It is shared by an inter-Nation forum among Miꞌkmaq First Nations and is divided ...

region) — referring to current-day Nova Scotia belonging to the Miꞌkmaꞌki region, the traditional land of the

Miꞌkmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the n ...

; currently used on specialty license plates. * "Bluenose Province” * "The Sea Bound Coast"

Prince Edward Island

* "Birthplace of

" (and ) — currently used on its license plates since 2013 (and formerly 1997–2007). * "The Cradle of Confederation" * "The First Province" * "Garden of the Gulf" — formerly used on its license plates from 1929–1930 and 1962–1965, * "The Garden Province"McKenna, Peter. "The Politics of Gaming in the 'Garden Province'." ''

Journal of Canadian Studies The ''Journal of Canadian Studies'' () is a bilingual peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of Canada. It is published three times a year by the University of Toronto Press The University of Toronto Press is a ...

'' 41 (2007):51-74. . or "Canada's Green Province" (and ) — the former was used on its license plates from 1966–1972; the latter was used from 2007–2012. * "Home of Anne of Green Gables" — formerly used on its license plates from 1993–1997; refers to the titular character of the famous ''

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, ...

'' novel coming from the fictional town of Avonlea in rural PEI. * "P.E.I."

Quebec

* "" — formerly used on license plates from 1963–1977. * "The Festival Province" * "" (French for 'I Remember') — official motto of Quebec, currently used on its license plates. * "" (French for 'I'm here') — formerly used on license plates

Saskatchewan

* "Canada’s Bread and Butter" * "The Drive-Through Province" — used sarcastically by Canadians, describing it as a boring province. * "The Land of the Living Skies" — currently used on its license plates. * "Wheat Province" — formerly used on its license plates from 1951–1959.

Territories/Northern Canada

Names used for

Northern Canada Northern Canada, colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories an ...

more broadly or shared between the three

Canadian territories Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British Nort ...

: * "Canada's Arctic" or "The Canadian Arctic" * "Canada's Last Frontier" * "The Land of the

Midnight Sun The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When the midnight sun is seen in the Arctic, ...

"Midnight Sun
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Northwest Territories

* "Canada's Northland" — formerly used on its license plates from 1954–1969. * "Land of the

Polar Bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear spec ...

" * "North of Sixty" — referring to the territory's position above the 60th parallel. * "Spectacular Northwest Territories" — currently used on its license plates.

Nunavut

* "Our Land" — a simple translation of the

Inuktitut Inuktitut (; , syllabics ; from , "person" + , "like", "in the manner of"), also Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the tree line, including parts of the provinces o ...

word ''Nunavut''.

Yukon

* "The Klondike" — currently used on its license plates. * "Home of the Klondike" — used on its license plates from 1971–1977. * "Land of the Midnight Sun" — used on its license plates from 1952–1970. * "Larger Than Life"

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20090902031837/http://canadaproject.ecsd.net/provincial_and_territorial_trivi.htm * http://www.johncletheroe.org/usa_can/states/index.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Provincial and territorial nicknames in Canada Canada, provincial and territorial Lists of nicknames

Nicknames A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...