These 12 Places In Quebec Have The Best (& Strangest) Names
The province takes pride in its cultural heritage while also not taking itself too seriously.
A beaver gnaws on a stick by a lake in winter.
The art of naming places in Quebec is an exercise in imagination. The Commission de toponymie has dropped its latest list of geographical oddities, confirming that when it comes to labelling locales, the province is unlikely to run out of creativity anytime soon.
Each year, the commission sifts through around 1,500 newly officialized place names to pick the top dozen that stand out for their originality, evocative imagery, or cultural significance. The public can weigh in on the final list by voting between mid-January and early February.
Topping the 2024 list is "La Venise des Castors" (Beaver Venice), a name that celebrates the engineering skills of Canada's favourite tree-fellers. Found in the Capitale-Nationale region, the area features an intricate network of ponds and beaver dams that draw comparison to the iconic waterways of Venice, minus the gondolas, of course.
Meanwhile, "3e rang du Vieux-Verbal" throws back to a time when establishing a road was a matter of verbal agreement, documented with the formality of a court proceeding.
Among the other contenders, "Lac du Raidillon" (Steep Path Lake) suggests a challenging hike, while "Parc du Flottage" (Log Driving Park) pays homage to a time when rivers served as the highways for timber transport. Then there's "Parc du Plus-Petit-au-Plus-Grand" (From the Smallest to the Largest Park), a place that sounds like a Dr. Seuss book turned municipal project.
"Rue du Minot-de-Pommes" (Apple Kernel Street) and "Rue du Train-de-Neige" (Snow Train Street) conjure images of quaint, apple-lined streets and locomotives plowing through winter wonderlands. "Sentier d'un Flâneur" (Stroller's Path) invites leisurely walks with a name that promises idyllic scenery and perhaps a chance encounter with a wandering poet.
Among the other standout names this year are "Boisé de l'Ocarina" (Ocarina Woods) in Boucherville, hinting at a magical forest where the wind plays melodies through tree branches, and "Chemin Rupicole" in Potton, suggesting a pathway favoured by rock-dwelling birds. There's also "Trou des Campions" (Champions' Hole) and "Verrou du Malin" (The Evil Lock), names that seem to have been plucked from medieval legends or the pages of a fantasy epic.
Given the province's penchant for quirky nomenclature, your next Quebec road trip could double as a scavenger hunt for the most creatively named spots on the map. Keep your eyes peeled; you might be in for some intriguing detours.
