Vam Creek - Yates River

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Vam Creek 82 O/11 - Burnt Timber Creek
3-31-8-W5
51° 38' N 115° 03' W
Flowa north into Red Deer River, approximately 60 km north-east of Banff

The name Vam Creek was taken from field notes of 1959-1960, from the Department of Highways Surveys Branch. No information about the origin was given.
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Vardie River 84 L/14 - Vardie River
20-113-7-W6
58° 50' N 119° 08' W
Flows south south-west into Mega River approximately 39 km north north-east of Rainbow Lake

The name was recorded by E.W. Hubbell, DLS, during his survey of the Zama-Hay Lakes area. According to the files of the Geographic Board of Canada, when it was to be officially named in 1922, it was then locally known by its Slavey name, which was transliterated into Vardi. This means amber, referring to the colour of the water. It "happily coincided" with the maiden name of J.F.B. O'Sullivan's mother which was Vardie. According to Mr. O’Sullivan’s granddaughter, Bernadette Giblin, it was actually the nickname of his fiancé, Vera Hope DeCordes. Blake O'Sullivan surveyed and drew the map of the area. His family has an original coloured pencil drawing of the Vardie River and Hay Lake.

Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Vega Peak 83 E/7 - Blue Creek
25-51-6-W6
53° 26' N 118° 45' W
Approximately 75 km north-west of Jasper

This 2,491 m mountain peak is part of the Starlight Range. It was named by R.W. Cautley after the star, "Vega," which is the fourth brightest star in the night sky.
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Vertex Peak 83 D/16 - Jasper
34-43-2-W6
52° 45' N 118° 12' W
Approximately 16 km south-west of Jasper

This 2,957 m mountain peak has a very sharp triangular summit. Its descriptive name was applied to this feature by M.P. Bridgland in 1916.
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Vesta Creek 84 E/9 - Dryden Creek
10-101-1-W6
57° 45' N 118° 03' W
Flows north-west into Keg River, approximately 95 km north north-west of Manning

When J.R. Akins, DLS, first noted that name in the 1915 survey, it was transcribed as Vista Creek, which may have been in reference to the view from its banks. Somehow, the name changed. There may be another explanation. "Vesta" is defined as a short wooden match, in reference to the Roman household goddess of the hearth. Whethera connection grew between the feature and matches is not known.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Victor Creek 73 M/1 - Sheltens River
9-36-71-W4
55° 12' N 110° 00' W
Flows into Saskatchewan, approximately 75 km north of Cold Lake

Possibly named after Victor Gay, of Lloydminster, member of a survey party. The name appears as early as 1914 on a federal government map.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Victor Lake 83 E/14 - Grande Cache
35-56-8-W6
53° 53' N 119° 05' W
Approximately 2 km east of Grande Cache

There is some suggestion that the lake may be named after Victor Gay, a member of a local survey party, but the precise origin of the name is unknown.
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Victoria Peak 82 G/8 - Beaver Mines
13-4-2-W5
49° 18' N 114° 08' W
Approximately 25 km south-west of Pincher Creek

This mountain peak was named by J.J. McArthur, DLS, in 1915 after Queen Victoria (1819-1901).
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Victoria, Mount 82 N/8 - Lake Louise
3-28-17-W5
51° 23' N 116° 17' W
Approximately 60 km west north-west of Banff on the Alberta-BC boundary

The mountain, which is 3,464 m in altitude, was named in 1897 by J.J. McArthur, a Dominion Land Surveyor, who introduced the system of photography for the survey of Rocky Mountains in 1887. The mountain commemorates Queen Victoria (1819-1901).
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Vincent Lake 73 L/3 - Vincent Lake
19-59-9-W4
54° 06' N 111° 20' W
Approximately 13 km north of St. Paul

The name for this lake has appeared on the survey returns of A.F. Cotton, Dominion Land Surveyor, who made the original survey in this district in 1884; however, the precise origin for the name is unknown.
Place Names of Alberta Volume 3: Central Alberta by Tracey Harrison

Waddell Creek 73 M/15 - Bohn Lake
16-9-79-6-W4
55° 50' N 110° 52' W
Flows east into Christina River, approximately 110 km south of Fort McMurray

Named after W.H. Waddell, ALS, who was working in the area in 1915.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Wadlin Lake 84 G/13 - Alberta
4-101-115-31
57° 44' N 115° 35' W
Approximately 124 km south-east of High Level

Likely names after L.N. Wadlin, DLS. The name appears on a federal government map was early as 1916.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey
 

Waldron Bay - Saskatchewan
Named after John Waldron, ALS. He surveyed hundreds of mineral claims in the North, out of Flin Flon, Manitoba. In the early days of Flin Flon, for five years, he was the city engineer. He was on the Dominion Government Township surveys out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in private practice. He has a bay named after him in Tyrrell Lake on map 63L16 at Latitude 54 degrees and 55 minutes, Longitude 102 degrees and 06 minutes.
Jack Webb, ALS (Hon. Life)

Wallace Creek 74 E/8 - Trout Lake
29-95-1-W4
57° 16' N 110° 08' W
Flows south-west from Saskatchewan into Firebag River, approximately 98 km north-east of Fort McMurray

This feature was named after J.N. Wallace, DLS, ALS, who surveyed the east outline of this township, which is the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, in 1910. By 1914, it appears on a federal government map under this name.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Wallace Mountain 83 J/13 - Wallace Mountain
69-13-W5
54° 58' N 115° 48' W
Approximately 60 km south-west of Slave Lake

Named after James Nevin Wallace, DLS, ALS, (1870-1941). The name was officially approved in 1906. It is one of three features which comprise Swan Hills.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Wallace River 83 N/1 - Bellerose Lake
15-33-69-14-W5
55° 02' N 116° 04' W
Flows north-east into East Prairie River, approximately 178 km east of Grande Prairie

Likely named after James Nevin Wallace, DLS, ALS (1870-1941). The name was officially approved in 1906.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Wally Lake 84 M/6 - Wally Lake
21-120-8-W6
59° 27' N 119° 19' W
Approximately 102 km north of Rainbow Lake

The name Wally Lake was submitted by Bjorn Rustad, ALS, following his survey in 1964. The lake is probably named after Charles Walton (Wally) Youngs who was, at the time of naming, Director of Surveys.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Ward Lake 83 I/10 - Boyle
19-66-17-W4
54° 44' 06” N 112° 33' 57” W
Approximately 40 km west of Lac La Biche

The name for this lake appeared on a list of names submitted by C.P. Hotchkiss, Dominion Land Surveyor on January 21, 1922. It was named after a draftsman on his survey party.
Place Names of Alberta Volume 3: Central Alberta by Tracey Harrison

Warwick Mountain 83 C/4 - Clemenceau Icefield
6-38-25-W5
52° 14' N 117° 35' W
Approximately 80 km south-east of Jasper

Due to this feature's castellated appearance and its proximity to Mount King Edward, a name taken from Warwick Castle, Warwickshire England, was adopted. The mountain was named by A.O. Wheeler and measures 2,906 m in altitude.
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Wash Creek 83 N/9 - Grouard
21-76-15-W5
55° 36' N 116° 16' W
Flows south into the South Heart River approximately 25 km north-east of High Prairie

The creek is mentioned by name in the DLS notes of 1906 in which it was described as having a rapid current. No origin information has been recorded; it may have been a place where washing was done, or it may refer to a geological term meaning soil swept off by water.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Watchtower, The 83 C/13 - Medicine Lake
33-44-27-W5
52° 49' N 117° 50' W
Approximately 17 km east south-east of Jasper

The descriptive name for this mountain, whose peak stands like a tower, was given in 1916 by M.P. Bridgland.
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Watt, Mount 84 K/11 - High Level
20-111-21-W5
58° 38' N 117° 29' W
Approximately 28 km north-west of High Level

It was likely named by J.R. Akins, DLS, in 1914 after a colleague, G. Watt, DLS. Among local Slavey and Beaver residents, this mountain is known as Deni Lede Yihe, which means "partly burnt mountain."
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Waugh Lake 74 M/16 - Andrew Lake
36-124-1-W4
59° 48' N 110° 01' W
Approximately 343 km north north-east of Fort McMurray

Officially named in 1939, it takes its name from B.W. Waugh, the surveyor in charge of the portion of the Saskatchewan-Alberta Boundary Commission survey between Lake Athabasca and the 60th Parallel.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

 

Webber Lake - Manitoba
Named after G.E.G. Webber, ALS. South-east of God's Lake at Latitude 54 degrees and 28 minutes, Longitude 94 degrees and 00 minutes.
Jack Webb, ALS (Hon. Life)

Weekes Lake 74 M/9 - Colin Lake
NE-25-123-1-W4
59° 43' N 110° 01' W
Approximately 334 km north north-east of Fort McMurray

Named in 1954 in honour of M.B. Weekes, former Director of Surveys in Saskatchewan. In the late 1930s, he was the Saskatchewan member of the Saskatchewan-Alberta Boundary Commission. His brother, Abel Seneca Weekes, was an Alberta Land Surveyor.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Wheeler Flats 82 O/4 - Banff
11-2-W5
51° 05' 30” N 115° 46' 30” W
Approximately 17 km south-west of Banff

Wheeler Flats was named for A.O. Wheeler (1860-1945). The name was officially adopted October 20, 1983.
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Whitecrow Mountain 83 D/9 - Amethyst Lakes
30-41-2-W6
52° 34' N 118° 15' W
Approximately 37 km south-west of Jasper

A number of Clark's Crow (commonly known as the white crow) were seen on this 2,831 m mountain while some members of The Alpine Club of Canada were on it. A.O. Wheeler applied the name in 1922.
Place Names of Alberta Volume I Mountains, Mountain Parks and Foothills by Aphrodite Karamitsanis

Winefred Lake 73 M/7 - Kirby Lake
75-W4
55° 30' N 110° 31' W
Approximately 118 km north north-west of Cold Lake

It is the source of Winefred River; it was noted in 1910 by William Christie, DLS.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Winefred River 74 D/2 - Quigley
20-81-4-W4
56° 02' N 110° 36' W
Flows west into Christina River approximately 90 km south south-east of Fort McMurray

Named by R.E. Young, for his wife, Winefred.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Wolverine River 84 F/15 - Steephill Creek
14-101-19-W5
57° 45' N 116° 59' W
Flows north-west into Peace River, approximately 84 km south of High Level

The precise origin of the name of this river is unknown; it is indicative of the presence of the wolverine. The name was referred to in the 1913 field notes of J.A. Fletcher, DLS.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Wood Buffalo National Park 84 P/2 - Boyer Rapids
116-16-W4
59° 15' N 113° 15' W
Approximately 260 km north north-west of Fort McMurray and east north-east of High Level

This, the largest national park in Canada, is named for the herds of wood buffalo seen there by surveyors in 1916. They were termed "wood buffalo" because they inhabited the wooded parkland.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey

Yates River 84 N/16 - Alberta-NWT
31-126-12-W5
60° 00' N 116° 05' W
Flows north-east into the Northwest Territories, approximately 175 km north north-east of High Level

It was officially named in 1946 after it was submitted by M.G. Cameron, DLS, honouring Constable R.N. Yates, of the RCMP, who was stationed at Fort Vermilion.
Place Names of Alberta Volume IV Northern Alberta by Merrily K. Aubrey