Punkeydoodles Corners is an unincorporated
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
in southwestern
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, known for its strange name
and frequent sign theft.
Although primarily located in the township of
Wilmot Wilmot may refer to:
Places Australia
*Division of Wilmot, an abolished Australian Electoral Division in Tasmania
* Wilmot, Tasmania, a locality in the North-West Region
Canada
*Wilmot, Nova Scotia, an unincorporated rural community and former t ...
, the hamlet also straddles the municipal boundaries with
East Zorra – Tavistock
East Zorra-Tavistock is a township in southwestern Ontario, Canada, formed on 1 January 1975 through the amalgamation of the Township of East Zorra and the Village of Tavistock. It is part of Oxford County. The township had a population of 7,129 ...
and
Perth East
The Township of Perth East is a municipality in Perth County, Ontario, Canada and situated north of Stratford. It was created in 1998 when the Ontario government amalgamated the village of Milverton with the surrounding former townships of El ...
, placing it in three different counties.
The origin of the name is somewhat disputed. Most claims date back to an inn and
tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern t ...
located at the Corner during the late nineteenth century. The most frequently cited legend, claims that the local German-speaking inn-keeper was given the name Punkey Doodle after he mispronounced the words of the song
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a traditional song and nursery rhyme, the early versions of which predate the Seven Years' War and American Revolution. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today. It is the state anthem of Connecticut. Its ...
, which sounded more like "Punkey Doodle" to the tavern guests.
Other stories link the name to an old Victorian nursery word for frittering away time, or a nickname given to a lazy pumpkin farmer by his irritated wife. There have been suggestions that pumpkins were an early crop locally.
"Corners" refers to both the geographical feature of the intersecting roads as well as the convergence of
Waterloo,
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, and
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
regional boundaries.
The most prominent moment in Punkeydoodles Corners history was
Canada Day 1982, when
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980.
Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal polit ...
was present for festivities. A post office was opened for one day to issue commemorative stamps.
While the spelling and punctuation vary in common usage, the version recognized by both
Statistics Canada and the
Canadian Geographical Names Data Base is "Punkeydoodles Corners".
[On eithe]
this Statistics Canada page
o
the CGNDB search form at Natural Resources Canada
a search for the name returns "Punkeydoodles Corners" as the only result.
The name of the hamlet frequently appears in lists of humorous place names.
Punkeydoodle's Corners 2.jpg, A pillar erected in honour of Joe Clark's participation in 1982 Canada Day festivities
Punkeydoodles hamlet sign.jpg, Punkeydoodle's Corners hamlet sign on Oxford Road 5 at Punkeydoodles Avenue intersection
Punkeydoodles Avenue sign.jpg, Street sign for Punkeydoodles Avenue at Huron Road
See also
*
List of unincorporated communities in Ontario
The following is a list of unincorporated and informal communities in the province of Ontario, Canada. These communities are not independent communities, these are usually a part of a township for the district, within a county. In non-urban areas ...
References
External links
Punkeydoodles Cornersat Geographical Names of Canada.
{{authority control
Communities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo
Wilmot, Ontario