Abegweit

n. an Indian name for Prince Edward Island.

Aberhartism

n. the political and financial policies developed as the basis of Social Credit government by William Aberhart, Premier of Alberta, 1935 to 1943.

aboideau

aboiteau

1 n. a dike (def. 1) or dam equipped with a gate which functions as a valve releasing flood water from behind but preventing sea water from entering at high tide.

above

1 adj. or adv. above zero Fahrenheit.

above discovery

of a mining claim, located at a position designated as being at a certain distance above or upstream from the original discovery claim on a creek.

abroad

adj. or adv. in phrases, of sea ice, broken up and dispersed.

absent voter

n. a voter who casts an absentee ballot.

absentee ballot

n. See 1965 quote.

absentee voter

1 n. a person allowed to vote by proxy in an election.

absentee voting

n. voting in an election by persons temporarily away from their ridings.

abuckwan

n. a skin or canvas sheet used as a shelter.

Acadia

1 n. a former French colony on the Atlantic coast of N. America, which included the present Maritime Provinces and adjacent parts of Quebec and New England.

Acadian ((adj.))

of or having to do with Acadia, its people, customs, language, etc.

Acadian ((n.))

n. a native or inhabitant of Acadia, especially a French-speaking descendant of the early French settlers in what are now the Maritime Provinces.

Acadian French

1 n. a native or inhabitant of Acadia, especially a French-speaking descendant of the early French settlers in what are now the Maritime Provinces.

Acadian Frenchman

n. a native or inhabitant of Acadia, especially a French-speaking descendant of the early French settlers in what are now the Maritime Provinces.

Acadian Neutral

n. one of the Acadian French who, after the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 had brought Acadia under British rule, refused to take the oath of allegiance, preferring to remain neutral to the strife between British and French.

Acadian owl

n. a small, brown, eastern sub-species, Cryptoglaux acadica acadica, of the saw-whet.

Acadian Provinces

n. the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

Acadie

Acadien

Accadia

accepted (bank) cheque

n. a certified cheque.

access road

1 n. a road giving access to areas not served by highways.

acclaim (to)

v. elect by acclamation.

acclamation

1 n. the election of a candidate without opposition.

accommodation† 

n. an accommodation stage or train.

accommodation stage† 

n. a local stagecoach.

accommodation train† 

n. a local train made up of freight and passenger cars; a mixed train.

Ace-away

n. See quote.

ace-high

adj. highly esteemed.

achigan

n. the small-mouthed black bass, Micropterus dolomieu.

acre

n. a linear measurement equal to twenty-two yards, now obsolete except in the Province of Quebec.

across the border

exp. in the United States of America.

across the line(s)

in the United States of America.

activity-room

n. in some schools, a room used for games, folk-dancing, music, meetings, plays, etc.

actual settler† 

a person improving land he has taken up, as distinguished from a land speculator.

administrative district

a district having local self-government through a council which is partly elected and partly appointed.

administrator

n. the chief executive officer of an administrative area; sometimes, a deputy for the Governor-in-Chief or for the Lieutenant-Governor.

admiral

n. a title given to the captain of the first fishing vessel to reach a harbor on the Newfoundland coast each year, a title that carried with it authority as magistrate for the fishery in the area of his jurisdiction, a form of justice that endured from the early seventeenth century until the late eighteenth.

advance poll

a poll where an advance vote may be cast.

advance vote

See quote.

advance(d) polling day

a day designated for an advance poll.

advances

n.pl. goods such as ammunition, clothing, tobacco, and knives, as a grubstake advanced to hunters, trappers, and others dealing with fur-trading companies, to be later deducted from the payment for their catches.

aeroquay

n. an airport building comprising administrative and operational offices, restaurant, etc. with departure and arrival areas.

after man

the paddler in the stern of a canoe.

ag.rep.

agency

1 n. the government agency responsible for the well-being of Indians in a given area, especially those on a reserve; also, the area of jurisdiction of this agency.

agent

1 n. an official representing the Indian Affairs Branch of the federal government in its dealings with and responsibilities toward the Indians in a certain agency, reserve, or district. Formerly called Indian agent, as still in popular usage.

aglo

agloo

aglu

n. a breathing-hole in ice, made by seals.

agokwa† 

n. among Indians, a homosexual; sodomite; transvestite.

agrais

agrets

1 n. the travelling equipment of a canoe, York boat, etc.

agricultural representative

a government official who advises farmers, ranchers, fruit-growers, etc.

agrès

1 n. the travelling equipment of a canoe, York boat, etc.

Ahlied

ahrubahboo

ahtikameg

ahtook

air bus

an airliner which passengers board without buying tickets in advance.

air harbo(u)r

1 an airport.

air-hole

1 n. a hole in the ice, especially where the water is moving too swiftly to freeze.

air-line† 

1 n. a railway line, especially a through or transcontinental line.

airtight burner

a lightweight sheet-iron stove which burns wood, the ashes of which are removed by dumping.

airtight heater

aksunai

interj. "be strong, wilt thou not ?" the traditional Eastern Eskimo greeting and farewell.

Alaid

n. See 1923 quote.

alarm bird

See 1911 quote.

Alaska black diamond

n. hematite, a native sesquioxide of iron; Fe₂O₃.

Alaska pine

a species of hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla, common on the British Columbia coast.

Albert coal

n. a bituminous, jet-black hydrocarbon that yields oil and gas, used as fuel.

Alberta District

a section of the Northwest Territories, organized in 1875, which became part of the province of Alberta in 1905.

Alberta plain

the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, characterized by flat prairie.

Alberta tar sands

an extensive sand formation along the Athabasca River impregnated with petroleum oil and tar.

Alberta Territory

Albertia

n. a name proposed for the Northwest Territories.

albertite

n. a bituminous, jet-black hydrocarbon that yields oil and gas, used as fuel.

alcool

n. a drinkable dilution of ethyl alcohol, distilled from cereals.

alewife† 

n. a bony species of herring, Alosa pseudoharengus, of the eastern seaboard and Great Lakes.

Alkali Dry Belt

all-Canada

adj. confined to Canada; all-Canadian.

all-Canadian

1 adj. situated wholly within Canada's borders.

all-red line

all-red route

the Canadian Pacific Railway route across Canada, so called because it went entirely through British territory.

Alliance

n. an interchurch body founded in 1888 to preserve Sunday as a day of rest, prominent in the movement leading to the passing of the Lord's Day Act.

alligator

1 n. a scow-like raft equipped with a winch and cable, used for towing or hauling logs, breaking up jams, etc.

allowance

n. in the Hudson's Bay Company, a specified amount of goods allowed to certain employees in addition to their salary.

allowance canoe

See quote.

allumer

v. light up; take a break for a rest.

amalgamated school

See quotes.

amarok

n. "wolf." a Mountie.

amaut

n. See 1963 quote. See picture at atigi.

Ambitious City

a nickname for Hamilton, Ontario.

America† 

1 n. North America, especially Canada and the United States.

American ((adj.))

1 adj. of or having to do with aboriginal languages in North America.

American ((n.))† 

1 n. the aborigine of North America; an Indian or Eskimo.

American nightingale

a frog.

American refugee

American sleigh

a one-horse sleigh having two double seats, the box being mounted on two steel-shod runners.

American wagon

See quote.

American War

1 the American Revolution.

Americo-Canadian

n. See quote.

amik

n. an aquatic rodent Castor canadensis, of North America, formerly of first importance in the fur trade and long used as an emblem of Canada.

amisk

n. an aquatic rodent, Castor canadensis, of North America, formerly of first importance in the fur trade and long used as an emblem of Canada.

amote

n. the wild strawberry.

amoutik

n. See quote.

amowt

amute

anchor ice† 

See bottom ice 1958 quote.

Anchor money

See quote.

Ancient Company

Anderson chariot

angakok

n. an Eskimo shaman.

angarooka

n. an Eskimo shaman.

angekok

Anglais

n. especially among French-speaking Canadians, an English-speaking Canadian.

angle

n. See 1783 quote.

anglicism

n. any feature of pronunciation, morphology, syntax, vocabulary, or spelling borrowed from English by the Canadian French.

anglicize

v. assimilate (French Canada or French Canadians) to the customs and language of English-speaking Canada.

Anglification

n. the political concept of absorbing the French Canadians into the English- speaking community, a view held by many Canadians of British origins in the 1830's and 40's and finding expression in the Durham Report of 1839 and the Union Act of 1841.

anglify

v. assimilate (French Canada or French Canadians) to the customs and language of English-speaking Canada.

Anglo

n. an English-speaking Canadian, especially one of British origin.

Anglo-American

adj. Canadian.

Anglo-bluenose

n. a Nova Scotian.

Anglo-Canadian ((adj.))

1 adj. of or having to do with English-speaking Canada.

Anglo-Canadian ((n.))

n. an English-speaking Canadian, especially one of British origin.

Anglo-French

adj. based on mutual respect and accord between French- and English-speaking Canadians with regard to matters of biculturalism and bilingualism.

Anglo-Saxon

n. See quote.

Anglo-Saxon Canadian

n. an English-speaking Canadian, especially one of British origin.

Anglois

n. especially among French-speaking Canadians, an English-speaking Canadian.

angnacook

ankle-jack

n. See quote.

annexation

n. the political issue involving union of Canada with the United States.

Annexation Manifesto

a statement of reasons for annexation, circulated in 1849.

annexationism

n. the policy of annexation.

annexationist

n. a person advocating annexation.

anorak

n. a waterproof outer coat of skin, often used by the hunter in his kayak.

anse

n. a cove or bay (mainly in place names).

ant bear

the most common of the bears of North America, Ursus americanus.

antelope

1 n. the pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, of the southern prairies.

anti

n. a person opposed to Confederation of the provinces of British North America.

Anti-British

adj. opposed to British domination in Canada.

anti-Canadian ((adj.))

1 adj. opposed or prejudicial to the interests of the Canadian French.

anti-Canadian ((n.))

n. a person opposed to extending special rights in religious and legal observances to French Canadians.

anti-Confederate ((adj.))

adj. opposed to Confederation.

Anti-Confederate ((n.))

n. an opponent of Confederation, especially one opposed to the Quebec Resolutions of 1865.

anti-Confederation

n. the political position of being opposed to Confederation.

Anti-Confederationist

n. an opponent of Confederation.

Anti-Constitutional party

a party opposed to the constituted political structure of Upper Canada in the 1830's.

Anti-Constitutionalist

n. a member of the Anti-Constitutional party.

anti-highgrading squad

a squad of police officers specially organized to prevent the theft of gold by miners at their work.

anti-responsible

n. a political group opposed to responsible government for the Canadas; hence, anti-responsible-ist.

anti-union

adj. opposed to the union of Upper with Lower Canada.

Anti-Unionist

1 n. a person opposed to the union of Upper with Lower Canada.

Antkiti Siwash

See quote.

antlerless season

an open season in which does and yearlings may be legally hunted.

anvil

n. either of two iron blocks used for firing a ceremonial salute in the absence of a cannon, the smaller being placed on the larger, an explosive charge being placed between them to be touched off by a blow from a hammer.

any-sex season

an open season during which moose and deer of either sex may be legally hunted.

apakwa

n. See quote.

apala

apartment block

See 1913 quote.

apichimo

apishamore

apoulard

appalat

n. a piece of skewered meat grilled over a campfire.

appichimon

n. a saddle blanket, usually of buffalo-calf skin, used also as a mat for sitting or lying on.

apple-paring bee

apron

n. a platform, usually of heavy timbers, at the bottom of a log chute, used to break the fall of the logs as they enter the water.

arch† 

n. the chamber of the fireplace on which is placed the kettle used in making maple sugar.

Arctic birch

a low shrub, Betula nana, growing four to five feet high and having rounded leaves.

Arctic Brotherhood

See quote.

Arctic char

a variety of salmon trout, Salvelinus alpinus, found in northern waters.

Arctic cotton

a species of cotton grass, Eriophorum sp., found in the Far North.

Arctic crow

the raven, Corvus corax.

Arctic fox

a smallish fox, Alopex lagopus, of the northern regions, white in winter but blue-gray to brownish at other times.

Arctic grayling

a silver-gray freshwater fish, Thymallus arcticus, of the trout family, found in northern waters.

Arctic hare

a species of large hare, Lepus arcticus, having white winter fur, found in the Barren Grounds.

Arctic madness

rabies in Arctic foxes.

Arctic officer

an official of the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources which is responsible for administering the Arctic regions of the Canadian North.

Arctic Parliament

the Council of the Northwest Territories (def. 2b).

Arctic prairies

the inhospitable tundra of northern Canada.

Arctic rabbit

a species of hare, Lepus americanus, especially common in the North, so called because its fur is brown in summer and white in winter.

Arctic sea smoke

See quote.

Arctic trout

a silver-gray freshwater fish, Thymallus arcticus, of the trout family, found in northern waters.

Arctic whale

the bowhead, Balaena mysticetus.

Arctic whiteout

Arctic willow

a low shrub, Salix arctica, of the Barren Grounds, having pale foliage and stalked catkins.

Arctic wolf

a large wolf, Canis lupus tundrarum, of the Arctic.

arena

n. an indoor hockey rink built to accommodate spectators.

arena rat

a boy or young man who helps with the chores around a hockey rink, often in return for free skating, free admission to hockey games, etc.

argali

n. a sheep, Ovis canadensis, found in the western mountains.

Argonaut

n. an adventurer who went to the Cariboo country in British Columbia in the 1860's in search of gold.

ari-stock-rat

n. See quote.

Armstrong

adj. hand-operated; requiring or worked by strength of arm (as opposed to machine power).

army bill

a kind of paper money introduced in Canada during the War of 1812, circulating for a few years thereafter.

arpent

1 n. a French linear measure equal to approximately 190 feet, used in areas of predominantly French-Canadian settlement.

arrival

1a n. the arrival of one or more persons at a post.

arrow sash

a sash characterized by arrowlike markings woven into the border. See picture at L'Assomption sash.

arsean

arsian

artiggi

artigi

ash hat

a hat woven from fine splints of ash.

ash-house

n. a place for making potash.

ash-leaf maple

a deciduous tree, Acer negundo, common in western Canada; box elder.

ash-leaved maple

ashery

n. a place for making potash.

ashigan

assean

n. a breechclout.

assemblyman

n. in P.E.I., one of fifteen members of the Legislative Assembly elected by both property and non-property owners.

assian

Assiniboia

1 n. See 1958 quote.

Assiniboian ((adj.))

adj. of or having to do with Assiniboia.

Assiniboian ((n.))

n. a native or resident of Assiniboia (def. 2).

assist

n. in hockey or lacrosse, the act of helping another player score a goal by setting him up with a pass; also the credit, one point, in the scoring statistics for making such a play.

Assomption belt

a colorful sash, 4 to 6 inches wide and 8 to 10 feet long, so called because the best such sashes were made in L'Assomption, Quebec, and widely distributed as trade goods by the fur companies, especially in the design known as the arrow sash. See L'Assomption sash and picture.

Assomption sash

asticameque

ateegi

Athabasca

1 n. the general region drained by the upper Athabasca River, a vast area important to the early fur trade.

Athabasca boat

an especially light, fast canoe used by the fur traders in the Athabasca country.

Athabasca canoe

Athabasca department

an administrative district of the fur companies in the far northwest.

Athabasca oil sands

an extensive sand formation along the Athabasca River impregnated with petroleum oil and tar.

Athabasca scow

See quote.

Athabasca territory

the region around Lake Athabasca and the Athabasca River on the northern Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

Athabascan

1 n. a Nor'Wester employed in the Athabasca department.

atigi

1 n. an inner shirt of summer skins with the hair turned inward against the body, used mainly by Eskimos.

atikameg

n. a widely distributed North American food fish, Coregonus sp., especially C. clupeaformis.

atikumaig

Atlantic area

that part of Canada bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of the St. Lawrence.

Atlantic Provinces

1 the Provinces of British North America in the Atlantic area.

Atlantic salmon

1 a large salmon, Salmo salar, native to the Atlantic Ocean, which enters many of the rivers draining into that ocean and which is much prized as a game and food fish.

Atlantic time

See quotes.

Atlantic Union

n. a proposed union or federation of the Maritime Provinces and Newfoundland.

atluk

atoca

n. the cranberry, Vaccinium sp.

Atti

n. See quote.

attige

attihawmeg

attikameg

auksunai

auntsary

n. the greater yellowlegs, Totanus melanoleucas.

Aurora trout

a species of trout, Salvelinus timagamiensis, much prized as a game fish in Northern Ontario, where it was first reported near Kirkland Lake in 1924.

auto camp

a place for accommodating tourists, where cabins, cooking facilities, and so on are available for renting.

auto-stage

n. a kind of early bus.

autoboggan

n. a small over-snow vehicle equipped with skis at the front and powered by a motor driving a treaded endless track. See picture at motor toboggan.

Autonomist party

See quote.

auxiliary road

See quote.

avalanche lily† 

any of several alpine plants of the genus Erythronium having white or yellow flowers.

avant de canot

n. the crewman of a canoe or York boat, whose position is in the bow.

avatak

n. a sealskin bag used as a buoy or float.

axeman† 

n. a man who makes his living in the bush working with his axe, especially a logger skilled in felling trees.

azion