A Place of Honour: War Casualties Commemorated in NWT Place Names
Did you know that 316 place names in the Northwest Territories commemorate Second World War casualties?
Did you know that four Victoria Cross winners have NWT geographic features named in their honour?
Did you know that the lakes Chedabucto, Fraser, Raccoon and Weyburn commemorate Royal Canadian Navy ships sunk during the Second World War? In fact, there are 56 lakes and two rivers named in honour of Commonwealth ships sunk or badly damaged in naval actions during World War II.
During the two world wars, more than 116,000 Canadians gave their lives while serving valiantly for their country. It has long been a practice in many Canadian jurisdictions to name geographical features in honour of men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces who died in service of their country.
These lists of geographical features commemorating Canadian war casualties, Victoria Cross winners, military leaders, and naval actions were made official during or shortly following the Second World War. While the majority of the names commemorate Second World War casualties, a few of the VC winners and military leaders served in the First World War.