BREAKING NEWS EXCLUSIVE!!

This has come to my attention through a confidential source. The McGuinty government has plans to amend the listing of place names to be inclusive and free from any gender or religious bias. This is a draft of the Media Release the McGuinty government is preparing to send out on Monday.


NEWS RELEASE

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GeoNames Ontario: Ontario's Geographic Names Database, is the official bilingual listing of place names in Ontario. GeoNames Ontario is part of a commitment by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Government Translation Service of the Ministry of Government Services, to provide services in response to the cultural needs, traditions and values of all Ontarians, and to preserve the integrity of the official geographic naming standards of Ontario.

GeoNames has been made aware that many place names currently are gender specific or have religious origins which no longer reflect the cultural diversity of the province. To that end GeoNames, along with its partners from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Government Translation Service, Ontario Government Women's Directorate and the Ontario Human Rights Commission will be reviewing the GeoNames database to ensure that place names do not reflect cultural, ethnic or religious bias. Where such bias is found the names will be changed so as to become bias-neutral.

As an example, the City of Sault Ste Marie is named after "Saint Mary," a venerated figure of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox traditions. This historical figure is not, however, as prominent in other Christian denominations or Judaism, nor does this person play any role in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or other major world religions. This presents a religious bias.

As well, since this person is obviously of the feminine gender a gender bias exists.

Also, while the word "Sault" translates as "rapids" and should properly be pronounced ‘soh,’ long-standing practise is to pronounce the word ‘soo,’ which sounds like a feminine name. This also represents a gender bias.

In recommending a new place name, GeoNames and its partners would study the nearby geographical features and other points of reference and identify those as might lend themselves to being adopted as a new place name. In the case of Sault Ste Marie, GeoNames has determined the replacement should be Canusa Rapids. This name takes into account the city’s location on the Canada-USA border and the waterway between the Canadian and American cities which straddle this border crossing.

The river would be also re-named Canusa River.

Other potential re-namings include:

• Bruce Mines (masculine) to be re-named Copper Mines
  
• St Joseph Island (religious, masculine) to be re-named Corn Island
  
• Elliot Lake (masculine) to be re-named Uranium Lake
  
• Bobcaygeon (masculine) to be re-named Caygeon
  
• St Catharines (religious, feminine) to be re-named Garden City
  
• Barrie (masculine) to be re-named Simcoe West
  
• Manitoulin Island (masculine) to be re-named Toulin Island
  

This process could take between 8 to 12 months to complete. It is the aim of GeoNames to have all changes in place by 1 April 2008.

For further information, please contact:

Ida Bidawunyewont, Inclusive Geographic Names Specialist
Provincial Georeferencing
Ministry of Natural Resources
Telephone: 705 555-5653
E-mail:[email protected]

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