June 11, 2001
Geographical Names Of Manitoba Historical Reference Book Released
Geographical Names Of Manitoba Historical Reference Book Released- - -
Contains Origins and Details of 12,000 Provincial Place Names
Conservation Minister Oscar Lathlin has announced the release of Geographical Names of Manitoba, a new publication detailing historical and geographical descriptions and the origins of nearly 12,000 natural features, settlements and trails.
"Manitoba has a rich variety of place names that are representative of our province's historical and cultural make-up," said Lathlin. "Many of these early names provide a fascinating insight into the attitudes and activities of those who lived in our province. In particular, Manitoba has more historical places named in our Aboriginal languages than any other language. This volume will shed light on these names and will be of significant interest to historians, geographers and genealogists as well as the general public and will heighten local awareness of the richness and diversity of Manitoba's heritage."
The 330-page reference work is based on over 100 years of correspondence from the Geographical Names Board of Canada with railway officials, surveyors, settlers, postal officials and local historians. It is supplemented by further research in some of the more remote areas of the province.
"This publication is a significant contribution to the history of Manitoba. The Geographical Names of Manitoba provides for the province and all of Canada a creative understanding of over 12,000 of Manitoba's place names," said Deputy Prime Minister Herb Gray, minister responsible for the Government of Canada's millennium initiative. "The Government of Canada proudly supported Geographical Names of Manitoba with a partial financial contribution of up to a maximum of $32,513 through the Canada Millennium Partnership Program (CMPP)."
This program contributed up to one third of eligible project costs while the private sector and other organizations provided the remaining funding. CMPP supported projects promoted Canadian history, youth, arts and culture, the environment and the development of communities.
Map references indicate the date and author of the first map on which a name appears, how it has changed over time and when it was last used. The volume includes several thousand names in native languages, many of which were recently recorded, as well as the more than 4,200 places named after Manitoba's war casualties.
The Geographical Names of Manitoba was produced with support from partners, sponsors and volunteers including Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism and the Millennium Bureau of Canada.
For more information on the publication contact the Manitoba Geographical Names Program at 204-945-1798.
To order the publication, visit www.canadamapsales.com or contact:
Manitoba Conservation
1007 Century Street
Winnipeg MB R3H 0W4
204-945-6666
Toll Free, 1-877-627-7226
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