Geographic names help us describe our surroundings and identify historic, cultural and natural features on the landscape. In Ontario, they have the Ontario Geographic Names Board. The latter reviews applications for new names for unincorporated places or geographic features and submits recommended geographic feature names to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry for approval in accordance with the Ontario Geographic Names Board Act.
To request a name, applicants should note that
- Board primarily considers the local usage of a name,
- commemorative names are reserved for those who made an outstanding contribution to a local area, Ontario or Canada,
- land ownership on its own does not warrant changing a well-established name,
- Board does not support commemorative names for living persons,
- Board does not endorse naming contests or competitions and will not accept the results of these activities