by kc dyer
Borden Called Borden-Carlton since 1995, now the site of the Confederation Bridge. Previously the docking area for the ferry to new Brunswick.
“Bog boy” / “Filthy Mick” Particularly nasty ways of referring to people of Irish heritage. They refer to the peat bogs of Ireland.
Cenotaph A memorial for people who have died elsewhere—in Canada, these are usually war memorials.
Clout Not (in this case) a punch, but a baby’s diaper in Gaelic dialect.
Coffin ship The nickname for ships bringing people to the Americas during times of famine, from the diseases that ran rampant through the starving passengers—typhus, cholera and smallpox among them.
The Colonies / The British Colonies The area (now primarily known as Canada) ceded to Britain in the years after the battle for Quebec, won by the British forces, on the Plains of Abraham in 1759.
Confederation The term given to the forming of the Canadian nation in 1867. The agreement for Confederation was signed in Charlottetown the year before.
Confederation Bridge / The Fixed Link The bridge, nearly 13km long, spanning Northumberland Strait between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Cur A dog of indeterminate breeding. “Thievin’ cur” generally refers to a human being accused of stealing, though some dogs with the innate ability to counter cruise would also qualify.
Da “Dad” in Irish dialect.
Danforth A major street in Toronto’s east end, known for excellence in ethnic cuisines, particularly Greek.
Dual trucks Skateboard wheels, often placed closely together to aid in turning stability on downhill runs.
The Elizabeth A fictional ship modeled on the coffin ships plying the Atlantic Ocean during the Irish Potato Famine.
“From away” A reference to anyone not born on Prince Edward Island by native-born Islanders.
Flintlock musket A fairly large-bore firearm that used a flint to ignite black powder and fire shot.
Grosse-Île Also known as Grosse Isle, it was an unpopulated island in the St. Lawrence River below Quebec City, and was established as a quarantine station to prevent a cholera epidemic in the British colonies. It was used in the same manner during the Irish Potato Famine to prevent the spread of typhus and smallpox.
The Guardian Charlottetown’s Daily Newspaper.
Hearth The base of a fireplace, where the fire is laid upon the hearthstone.
Inuit / Innu Inuit is the name given to the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, including Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Russia. Many of the words used in this story for Darby’s trip into pre-history are taken from Inuit (Inuktitut) or from the Innu culture. The Innu encompass the indigenous peoples of the North-east Arctic in Quebec and Labrador. The Tlingit language of the Northwestern Arctic is also represented.
Inuksuk / Inuksuit A pile of rocks used as a landmark or a food cache in the North. (Not to be confused with an Innunguaq, which is a cairn of rocks in roughly human form.)
Irish Potato Famine A great famine in Ireland that began around 1845 and killed more than a million before it was over. It resulted from potato blight, which caused the crop to quickly rot in the ground or in storage. Ireland’s absentee farmers fed the mostly poor workforce primarily on potatoes, saving other crops for export and the wealthy. Other potato famines have occurred since, including one in Scotland, but this famine changed the sociological and economic face of Ireland, as many of its people were forced to flee or die.
Kodiak The name of a type of grizzly bear found in the North, particularly in the Kodiak archepelago in Alaska. The largest bear recorded as killed in the North was a Kodiak with a total skull size of 78.1 cm.
Korean War / Korean Conflict A war principally between North and South Korea from 1950–53. Other countries, including Canada, were also involved. American and Soviet involvement in the region helped foster a lead-up to the Cold War.
Lummox An insulting name implying a clumsy, awkward or stupid person.
MicMac / Mi’kmaq First nation from the Maritime region. (Not to be confused with “Mick,” which actually refers in a very nasty way to someone’s Irish heritage.)
Mirkwood A dense, scary forest from the stories of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Mushum Northern Inuit word for Grandfather.
Nanuq Polar bear in Inuktitut.
Northumberland Strait The part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence that separates Prince Edward Island from the mainland.
Nukum Innu and Northern Cree word for grandma.
Ollie A skateboard manoeuvre in which the boarder jumps, propelling both herself and the board into the air.
Pádraig The Irish form of the name Patrick.
Passenger manifest The list of passengers on board a vessel.
Pestilential Skinny, as if infested with illness or insects, or both.
Petroglyphs Images carved into rock, often associated with prehistoric peoples.
Potato Famine See Irish Potato Famine.
Province House The Provincial Legislature in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada’s second-oldest seat of government.
Qallupilluq Spirit who lives beneath the ice, in the north. (Quallupilluit refers to three or more spirit.)
Radiant algae Aquatic plants that are bioluminescent (give off a glowing green light). Dinoflagellates (marine plankton) are also bioluminescent.
Rankin Inlet An Inuit hamlet located on the shore of Hudson Bay in Nunuvet.
Sandstone Sedimentary rock composed of highly compressed sand. Principal type of rock found on Prince Edward Island, with a rusty red colour due to the oxidized iron content.
Sháach’i (Sha’achi) A diminutive of Asx’aan Sha’achi, the Tlingit word for sparrow.
Sligo A port town on the west coast of Ireland.
Soapstone Metamorphic rock, with a high content of talc that renders the surface very soft. A common medium for carving by indigenous northern artists.
Smallpox / The pox Highly infectious virus, often fatal if untreated.
St. Lawrence River The waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the first of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario.
Tuberculosis A disease of the lungs, also known as consumption, fatal if untreated.
Typhus / Typhoid Fever Infectious, often fatal disease, spread through close contact and unclean water.
Wretch A particularly sad or pitiable individual.