Curated

5 Alberta place names you didn't know were named after people

Allison Stephen
Allison Stephen
|
Mar 20 2026, 6:56 pm
5 Alberta place names you didn't know were named after peopleAlberta's Hard Luck Canyon is a hidden gem waiting to be explored
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    • Canmore

    While it’s technically more of a nickname, this picturesque mountain town, located 92 kilometres west of Calgary, was named by CPR director Donald A. Smith after Scottish King Malcolm III, who ruled from 1058 to 1093. His nickname was Canmore, or ceann mòr in Gaelic, which translates to “big head.”

    Fallis

     

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    A post shared by ClĂ­odhna Nic Gafraidh (@cli0dhna)

    The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway named a lot of towns between Edmonton and B.C., and eventually, they started picking whatever came to mind. For example, Fallis, located 49 kilometres west of Spruce Grove on the north shore of Wabamun Lake, is named after William Sheppard Fallis — not because he built it, but because he was the Winnipeg sales manager for the Sherwin-Williams paint company. Somehow, the railway liked him enough to put his name on a town.

    Bawlf

     

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    A post shared by John Gulak (@jongeecalgary)

    Sounds like a name for one of those paper bags in your airplane seat. Located 27 kilometres northeast of Camrose, the village is named after Nicholas Bawlf, a Winnipeg grain merchant who called himself “one of the best-known men in the West and one of the largest shippers of grain in the Dominion.” Bawlf was the one who pioneered shipping Canadian grain to Japan through west coast ports, and among his many business accomplishments, there’s now a charming Alberta village named after him.

    Are there any Alberta place names that surprised you? Let us know in the comments!

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