Aboriginal – peoples living in Canada before European colonization (First Nations and Inuit) and the Métis
Acadians – the first settlers from France who lived in Nova Scotia
Allophones – people living in Québec whose first language is neither French nor English
Anglophones – people who speak English as their first or only language
Atlantic Provinces – a region that includes Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick
ATV – all-terrain vehicle, or four-wheel-drive vehicle
aurora borealis – charged particles from the sun that are trapped in the earth’s magnetic field and appear as other-worldly, colored, waving beams; also called the northern lights
B&B – bed-and-breakfast
backcountry site – a primitive campsite with few facilities, often found in national or provincial parks
badlands – a barren, arid region of southern Alberta with unusual features caused by erosion; the rocks in such areas often contain prehistoric fossils
BC – British Columbia
Black Loyalists – slaves of African origin freed by the British to fight against the USA during the American Revolution, many of whom later settled in Nova Scotia
boreal – refers to the Canadian North and its character, as in the boreal forest or the boreal wind
calèche – horse-drawn carriages that can be taken around parts of Montréal and Québec City
Canadian Shield – a plateau of rock formed 2.5 billion years ago that covers much of the Northern region of Canada; also known as the Precambrian or Laurentian Shield
ceilidh (kay-lee) – a Gaelic word meaning an informal gathering for song, dance and story; sometimes known as a house party; may refer to any public performance where music is played and is especially popular in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia
CFL – Canadian Football League
coulees – gulches, usually dry
Cowichan – an indigenous people originally from the Lake Cowichan area on Vancouver Island; also the name of the hand-knitted, 100% wool sweaters they produce
Cow Town – nickname for Calgary
CPR – Canadian Pacific Railway
Cree – an Aboriginal people, and their language
Dominion of Canada – historical name of Canada assumed at the time of Confederation in 1867
Doukhobours – an unorthodox Russian Christian sect, some of whom settled in Saskatchewan and BC during the 19th century
First Nations – most groups of Aboriginal peoples in Canada, except Inuit and Métis
Francophones – people who speak French as their first or only language
gasoline – petrol, known as gas or fuel; mostly sold unleaded in Canada
gîte du passant – a term often used in Québec for B&Bs
Group of Seven – a group of celebrated Canadian landscape painters from the 1920s
GST – 6% goods and services tax levied on most purchases throughout Canada
hoodoo – distinctive vertical pillar shape carved into a rock face by rainfall and glacial erosion, mainly found in the badlands regions of southern Alberta
hookup – at campgrounds, refers to RV connections for electricity, water and sewage
HST – Harmonized Sales Tax; combination of GST and PST totaling 14%, used in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador
Hudson’s Bay Company (Compagnie de la Baie d’Hudson) – an English enterprise created in 1670 to exploit the commercial potential of the Hudson Bay and its waterways
icefield – a large, level expanse of floating ice
Innu – First Nations people living in eastern Québec and Labrador and comprising the Montagnais and Naskapi subgroups
Inside Passage – sea route from the Alaskan Panhandle to Washington state that runs between mainland BC and the chain of islands off the coast
Inuit – Aboriginal people descended from the Thule and residing primarily in Nunavut and Arctic Québec
Inukshuk – stone cairn mimicking the human form, originally built by Inuit as landmarks or to herd prey toward waiting hunters
Inuktitut – language of the Inuit people
Inuvialuit – Western Artic Inuit people
Inuvialuktun – language of the Inuvialuit
Klondike – region along the Klondike River in the Yukon Territory where the discovery of gold in 1897 led to the Klondike Gold Rush
Labour Day – public holiday on the first Monday in September; end of the summer holiday season
Left Coast – sometimes applied to coastal BC for the perceived left-wing, eccentric nature of its residents
l’Estrie – Québecois term for the Cantons de l’Est (Eastern Townships), a former Loyalist region southeast of Montréal toward the US border
loonie – Canada’s one-dollar coin, which depicts a loon on one side
Lower Mainland – common term for the southwestern part of BC, including metropolitan Vancouver
Loyalists – British North American colonists who remained loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution; many settled in Ontario and Québec; also known as United Empire Loyalists
Maritime provinces – also known as the Maritimes, this group includes three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
Métis – Canadians of mixed French and First Nations ancestry
midden – archaeological term for mound or heap containing domestic refuse and thus indicating human settlement
Mi’kmaq – First Nations people living throughout the Maritime provinces, especially Nova Scotia. Also spelled micmac
Mounties – Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
muskeg – undrained boggy land most often found in Northern Canada
névé – compacted, accumulated snow that forms the surface of the upper part of a glacier
NHL – National Hockey League
northern lights – see aurora borealis
Northwest Passage – sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean via the Canadian Arctic
NWMP – North-West Mounted Police
NWT – Northwest Territories
Ogopogo – similar to the Loch Ness monster; thought to reside in Okanagan Lake; has never been photographed
Ojibwe – Aboriginal people living in southern Canada, primarily west of Lake Superior; also known as Ojibway or Chippewa
Old World – of European origin
outfitter – a business or store supplying outdoor
/adventure equipment, often for rent
outports – small, isolated coastal villages of Newfoundland, connected with the rest of the province by boat
PEI – Prince Edward Island
permafrost – permanently frozen subsoil that covers the far northern regions of Canada
petroglyphs – ancient paintings or carvings on rock
piastre – Québecois term for a Canadian dollar
pingo – in the far North, a huge earth-covered ice hill formed by the upward expansion of underground ice
portage – process of transporting boats and supplies overland between navigable waterways; can also refer to the overland route used
potlatch – competitive ceremonial activity among some First Nations people, traditionally involving the giving of lavish gifts in order to emphasize the wealth and status of a chief or clan; now often just refers to a wild party or revel
powwow – a festive social gathering of Aboriginal people, often involving singing, dancing and general merriment
PST – Provincial Sales Tax; ranges from 7% to 10%
Québecois – the local tongue of Québec, where the vast majority of the population is of French descent; the term also refers to the residents of Québec, although it is applied only to Francophones, not English-speaking Quebecers
RCMP – Royal Canadian Mounted Police; the main law-enforcement agency throughout Canada
RV – recreational vehicle (commonly a motor home), used for traveling or camping; ‘caravan’ in British English
screech – a particularly strong rum once available only in Newfoundland, now widely available across Canada (but only in diluted form)
social – pay-at-the-door party with lots of beer, music and fun
spelunking – exploration and study of caves
sugar shack – the place where collected sap from maple trees is distilled in large kettles and boiled as part of the production process for maple syrup
table d’hôte – set-price meal
taiga – coniferous forests extending across much of subarctic North America and Eurasia
terrasse – patio
toonie – slang name for a Canadian two-dollar coin
trailer – in Canada and the US, a caravan or a mobile home
tundra – vast, treeless Arctic plains north of the tree line with perpetually frozen subsoil
two-four – a case of beer containing 24 bottles
United Empire Loyalists – see Loyalists
VIC – visitor information center
Victoria Day – public holiday held on the Monday before May 25; start of the summer holiday season
voyageur – a boatman employed by one of the early fur-trading companies; he could also perform the functions of a woodsman, guide, trapper or explorer