Article content

In Canada’s vast and diverse catalogue of uncreative place names, the Northwest Territories deserves special consideration.

It’s as generic a name as they come: The cartographic equivalent of a can of No Name-brand “Cola.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Why the Northwest Territories desperately need a name change Back to video

What’s more, Northwest Territories isn’t even an accurate descriptor. The jurisdiction it describes is governed by a single territorial authority, not multiple territorial authorities as the name might suggest.

Photo by Flickr/Paul Jerry

It isn’t even particularly northwest, what with the Yukon on its western border. More accurately, the Northwest Territories should obviously be called North Central Territory.

But there’s no actual rhyme or reason to the territory’s name. The Northwest Territories retains its name solely as an awkward holdover from the 19th century.

Soon after British Columbia was added to confederation, the United Kingdom ceded to Canada all the lands between the Rocky Mountains and the province of Ontario.

It had once been known as Rupert’s Land, a swath of territory initially claimed by the Hudson’s Bay Company that encompassed all the lands that drain into Hudson Bay. In effect, it was Canada’s own version of the Louisiana Purchase.

A placeholder name was appropriate at the time. It was an awesome expanse of land of which little was known. Canada’s designers figured it would be better to fill the area with railroads and settlements before they started handing out labels.