Whats in a name?

One of the nice things about here is the wide diversity of cultures you can see all around you. Toronto sells itself as one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, and with all the range of peoples, festivals and suburbs, its easy to see why. Having talked about the Caribbean and Greek festivals over recent posts should give some indication of some of this diversity, and a walk through the town, or a scan of the map of downtown Toronto will reveal a Norwegian park, little Italy, little Portugal, a German speaking parish in the St Patricks area of University Avenue, as well as something like 5 China towns in various parts of the locality.

There are many familiar place names for the people back home, places like London, York, Scarborough, Newmarket and Cambridge all to be seen on the Southern Ontario map. But there is an intriguing mix of our history, together with the history of the land some of our forefathers arrived in centuries ago. So alongside our familiar names, you have names like Mississauga, Etobicoke, Oshawa whose origins may not be quite as clear to us.

Of course, when you're at home, it is easy to take things for granted. I really have no idea why Peterborough is called Peterborough, although at a guess, given the city motto of 'upon this rock', i would expect that it has something to do with its placing on an area of solid land within the marshlands of eastern England (Peter - from the latin rock, and Borough, meaning town?). There is some homework for one of you. This is probably a theme for the east of England, as my place of birth Ely (pronounced Eee - lee for those who have never heard of it!) was known formerly as "isle of Ely" i believe, possibly for similar reasons...

But i digress. Except to demonstrate that the places I go to and visit, be it Stamford, Dogsthorpe, Harborne, Bearwood, Edgbaston, Westwood, Birmingham, Hampton... I've no idea where they get their names from.

In Canada however, i did wonder where the name Peterborough came from, and whether there was any link with my home town (basically looking for an excuse to drive the 150km to visit!). I was disappointed!! No link with my Peterborough whatsoever! However, as a small moment of education, this is the history of just a couple of the place names for you. As ever, sharing entertainment and education for you all!

Peterborough, Ont

In 1818, Adam Scott settled on the west shore of the Otonobee River. The following year he begins construction of a sawmill and gristmill, establishing the area as Scott's Plains.
1825 marked the arrival of 2,000 Irish immigrants from the city of Cork. In 1822, the British Parliament had approved an experimental emigration plan to transport poor Irish families to Upper Canada. The scheme was managed by Peter Robinson, at the time a politician in York (present-day Toronto). Scott's Plains was re-named Peterborough in his honor.
In 1845, Sandford Fleming, inventor of Standard Time and designer of Canada's first postage stamp, moved to the city to live with Dr. John Hutchison and his family, staying until 1847. Dr. John Hutchison was one of Peterborough's first resident doctors.
Peterborough is incorporated as a town in 1850 (population 2,191).

Oshawa, Ont

Oshawa is a city on Lake Ontario located 56 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. The city of Oshawa started out as a transfer point for the fur trade. Furs were loaded onto canoes by the Mississauga Indians at the Oshawa harbour and transported to the trading posts located to the west at the mouth of the Credit River. The name Oshawa originates from the Seneca natives term for "Crossing of a stream".

Mississauga, Ont

Mississauga is 15km to the west of downtown Toronto. Archaeological findings suggest that Native people have lived in this area for thousands of years. One of the Native groups found around the Credit River was called the Mississaugas. The Europeans called the area where the Mississaugas lived the "Mississauga Tract".

Etobicoke, Ont

Etobicoke is the borough to the west in Toronto. The name "Etobicoke" was derived from the Mississauga word wah-do-be-kang, meaning "place where the black/wild alders grow", which was used to describe the area between Etobicoke Creek and the Humber River.

York, Ont and London, Ont

The Province of Upper Canada was created under the Constitutional Act of 1791. John Graves Simcoe was the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada. Simcoe's first priority was to establish a provincial government. The first meeting of the nine-member Legislative Council and sixteen-member Legislative Assembly took place at Niagara on the lake on September 17, 1792.
Simcoe soon realized that Niagara made an unsuitable capital because it was right on the US border and subject to attack. He proposed moving the capital to a more defensible position the middle of Upper Canada's southwestern peninsula. He named the new location London and renamed the river as the Thames in anticipation of the change.
The Governor-General, Lord Dorchester, rejected this proposal but accepted Simcoe's second choice of Toronto. Simcoe moved the capital to Toronto in 1793 and renamed the location York after Frederick, Duke of York, George III's second son.

End of history lesson! Ever wondered why your town/city is called what it is? There's some inspiration for hopefully someone out there!