List of Spanish place names in Canada

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This is a list of geopolitical entities, geographical features, localities, and other places in Canada with names that originate from the Spanish language.

Place Province/territory English translation Notes
Casa Loma Ontario "hill house" A mansion in Toronto that was originally the residence of financier Henry Pellatt and is now a museum.
Del Bonita Alberta "of the pretty"[1]
Eldorado Ontario "the gilded one" Became the site of Ontario's first gold rush in August 1866.
Eldorado Saskatchewan Now a ghost town.
Espanola Ontario feminine form of "Spanish" The story behind the town’s name is that in the mid-18th century, a local Ojibwe man married a white, Spanish-speaking woman and they taught their children to speak Spanish. When French explorers came to the area and heard the locals speaking Spanish, they remarked, "espagnole" (the French word for "Spanish"). This was later anglicized to "Espanola" and the nearby river was named the Spanish River.
Flores Island British Columbia "Flores" means "flowers". Named in honour of Manuel Antonio Flores, the 51st viceroy of New Spain.[2]
Galiano Island British Columbia N/A Named for Spanish explorer Dionisio Alcalá Galiano.[3]
Juan de Fuca Strait British Columbia "Juan" is the Spanish form of the masculine given name John. Named for Ioánnis Fokás, a Greek explorer who sailed in the service of Spain, and whose name was translated into Spanish as "Juan de Fuca". Forms part of the boundary between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the American state of Washington.[4][5][6]
Mariposa Ontario "butterfly" A former township, now part of the City of Kawartha Lakes, and a community within that former township.
Mariposa Beach Ontario A community within the Township of Ramara.
Mariposa No. 350 Saskatchewan A rural municipality in Saskatchewan.
Ramara Ontario "Rama" means "branch" and "mara" means "sea". A township formed in 1994 by the amalgamation of Rama Township and Mara Township. The origins of the names of these townships are unclear, and another possible explanation for the origins of their names is that they are named for places in the Bible: Ramah and Marah, respectively.
St-Alphonse-Rodriguez Québec "Rodriguez" is a Spanish surname meaning "son of Rodrigo". Named for Alphonsus Rodriguez, a Spanish Catholic saint.[7]
Tofino British Columbia N/A Named for nearby Tofino Inlet,[8] which was named in 1792 by Spanish explorers Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores for Admiral Vicente Tofiño,[9] under whom Galiano had learned cartography.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ , p. viii : Heritage of the high country : a history of Del Bonita and surrounding districts
  2. ↑ Walbran, John T. (1909). British Columbia coast names, 1592-1906 : to which are added a few names in adjacent United States territory, their origin and history. Ottawa Government Printing Bureau. p. 182. OCLC 317633225.
  3. ↑ "Galiano Island". BC Geographical Names.
  4. ↑ While U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Strait of Juan de Fuca says John Meares named the strait in 1788, most sources say it was Barkley in 1787, for example: "Juan de Fuca Strait". BC Geographical Names.; Existence of the Strait of Juan de Fuca confirmed by Captain Charles Barkley, Washington Secretary of State; Hayes, Derek (1999). Historical Atlas of the Pacific Northwest: Maps of exploration and Discovery. Sasquatch Books. p. 16. ISBN 1-57061-215-3. online at Google Books; and Pethick, Derek (1980). The Nootka Connection: Europe and the Northwest Coast 1790-1795. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre. p. 24. ISBN 0-88894-279-6. It is well established that Meares tried to take credit for much of Barkley's work.
  5. ↑ Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online, s.v. Fuca, Juan de.
  6. ↑ Greek Consulate of Vancouver, "Greek Pioneers: Juan de Fuca". Archived October 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ , History | Municipality of Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez | Matawinie, Lanaudière
  8. ↑ "Tofino". BC Geographical Names.
  9. ↑ "Tofino Inlet". BC Geographical Names.
  10. ↑ Dionisio Alcalá Galiano: The Canadian Adventure of a Spanish Naval Hero, Malaspina University-College
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