Toponym'Elles

Toponym'Elles is a name bank established by the City of Montreal to recognize and highlight the historical contributions of women. Its primary purpose is to serve as a resource for increasing the presence of women in toponymy by assigning their names to public spaces such as parks, streets, and squares in Montreal.

History

Toponym'Elles was launched on 2 March 2016, shortly before International Women's Day.[1] The initial database contained 375 names, selected by linguist Gabriel Martin,[2] a number chosen to coincide with Montreal’s 375th anniversary. At the time of its launch, only 6% of city locations were named after women.[3] Montreal was the first city in Quebec to develop a database of this kind,[4] while a similar proposal in Sherbrooke in 2018 did not advance.[5]

The initial list featured prominent and lesser-known women from Quebec, women’s collectives, titles of major cultural works created by women, and names connected to Indigenous cultures. It also included notable figures from across Canada and internationally.[6] A separate list of approximately 85 living women was maintained confidentially due to the social sensitivity around honoring living individuals.[7]

Following its public launch, the database was opened to submissions from the general public, expanding to 453 names by 2019.[8]

Named places

Thérèse Cadorette was the first individual honored through Toponym'Elles, with a square named after her in 2016.[9] Other early examples include Ethel-Stark, Jovette-Marchessault, and Julie-Hamelin parks; Grace-Hopper and Jacqueline-Sicotte streets; Place des Montréalaises; and Alice-Guy Square.

Palomino-Brind’Amour Park, also named from the database, was recognized as a preferred project by the Toponymy Commission in 2018.[10] Additionally, the name of Mary Two-Axe Earley was chosen for a future metro station announced in September 2025, derived from the initial Toponym'Elles list.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Martin & Beaudoin 2019, p. 8.
  2. ^ "Toponymy: Montreal wants to honor more women". Le Devoir. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Montreal wants to name more streets, parks after women". CBC News. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  4. ^ Martin & Beaudoin 2019, p. 19.
  5. ^ Martin & Beaudoin 2019, p. 29.
  6. ^ Martin & Beaudoin 2019, pp. 17–18.
  7. ^ Martin & Beaudoin 2019, p. 17.
  8. ^ "Women less recognized than men in city toponymy". Radio-Canada. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  9. ^ Pellus, Johanna (27 June 2016). "First name from Toponym'Elles". Journal Métro. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  10. ^ Martin & Beaudoin 2019, p. 21.
  11. ^ "Mary Two-Axe Earley". montreal.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-10.

Bibliography

  • Martin, Gabriel; Beaudoin, Sarah (2019). Femmes et toponymie : de l'occultation à la parité. Sherbrooke: Éditions du Fleurdelysé.
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