Section
1.
Authorities
1.1 Style
The authority
on style, unless otherwise indicated in this guide, is the 1997 revised edition
of The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing,
published by Dundurn Press in co-operation with the
Department of the Secretary of State and the Canadian Publishing Centre, Supply
and Services Canada.
The Canadian Style gives concise
answers to questions concerning written English in the Canadian context. It
covers such topics as the decimal point, abbreviations, capital letters,
punctuation marks, hyphenation, spelling, frequently misused or confused words
and Canadian geographical names. It also includes useful advice for drafting
letters, memos, reports, indexes and bibliographies. In addition, The
Canadian Style includes techniques for writing clearly and concisely,
editing documents, and avoiding stereotyping in communications.
1.2 Spelling
The authority
for spelling, hyphenation and word breaks is the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. This dictionary
combines coverage of international English with information on English as it is
particularly used in Canada. Definitions are presented so that the meaning most
familiar to Canadians appears first and foremost. Each of these entries is
exceptionally reliable, the result of thorough research into the language and
Oxford's unparalleled language resources.
The latest new edition is completely up to date with 5,000 new words and
senses. It features 2,200 uniquely Canadian words and senses, 350 usage notes,
7,000 idiomatic expressions, 5,500 biographical entries and over 5,600 place
names.
1.3 Translation
To compare
French and English terminology, consult TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's official
terminology and linguistic data bank. A secondary authority is Le grand dictionnaire terminologique,
the terminology bank of the Office québécois de la
langue française. To ensure the correct translation
of CMH and CWM place names, ongoing and special exhibitions and frequently used
terms (such as military titles and honours), please refer to Section 6 of the
guide.
1.4 Geography
All Canadian
place names must follow the standards set by the Geographical Names Board of Canada. For place names in
Quebec, the authority is the Commission de toponymie du Québec (searchable in French only).
For place names outside of Canada, please refer to the Government of Canada’s List of Country Names or to the resources provided by
the UN Group of
Experts on Geographical Names.
1.5 First Nations
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada is the national authority for names
and information relating to First Nations communities and reserves. To access
and search their database, click here. As these names are constantly evolving, it
is impossible to maintain a completely up-to-date list. The names of First Nations evolve over time and may change from
one exhibition to another, for example. When referring to a past exhibition,
please retain the name that was used at the time of that exhibition. To confirm
First Nations names and other information (cultural groups and languages, for
example), please contact the First Peoples and Early Canada research section of
the Canadian Museum of History: Alan Elder (Manager, First Peoples and Early
Canada): 819-776-8190 | Alan.Elder@historymuseum.ca.
The words
Aboriginal, Indigenous and Native are capitalized when used in the Canadian
context, and are not used as proper nouns. The word Peoples is also capitalized
in the same context. Preferred terms at the Museums are Aboriginal Person(s),
Aboriginal People(s) in Canada (not Aboriginal Canadians), Native People(s)
(not Natives), Indigenous People(s), / First People(s) / Inuk (singular), Inuit
(plural) (not Eskimo) / Métis (not Metis).