Toponym'Elles
Initiative to improve toponymic representation of women's contributions in Montreal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]