Steps for changing a geographical place name

Overview

Any individual, community, Indigenous government, or organization can submit a proposal to change an official geographical place name or adopt a new official place name for a geographical feature that does not have an official name. The Government of the Northwest Territories does not propose name changes, they must come from the public.

These instructions apply to place name proposals for all geographical features except for community names.

The Part you Play – Prepare and Submit your Proposal

Provide a list of the proposed place name(s), including:

  • The spelling of the name.
  • The translation and meaning of the name (if not English).
  • Who named the feature and when, how, and why – is there a story associated with the name?
  • The kind of geographical feature for the name (e.g., bay, lake, hill, river, etc.).
  • Other known names for the geographical feature.
  • Latitude and Longitude of the geographical feature.

Provide a map of the proposed name(s) that shows the location and outline of the geographical feature(s)

If available, submit a GIS shapefile of the geographical feature(s). We can help with this if needed.

Provide any evidence of community support that you have obtained for the place name proposal, including:

  • Letters of support for the place name proposal from community groups, Indigenous governments, or other organizations.

Submit the proposal:

  • Email: culturalplaces@gov.nt.ca
  • Mail: Cultural Places Officer, Culture and Heritage, Education, Culture, and Employment, Government of the Northwest Territories, P.O. Box 1320, Yellowknife, NT, X1A 2L9

The Part we Play

Evaluate the place name proposal and verify the correct spelling of the proposed place name(s).

Engage with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations on the place name decision.

Confirm public support for the place name proposal by determining if the region’s Member of the Legislative Assembly supports the proposed names and/or through public engagement.

If there is support for the place name proposal, submit the place name decision to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for approval.

Submit the approved place name(s) to the Canadian Geographical Names Database to ensure that the approved names will be used on government maps.

Publicize the approved names in the media.

Updated: Aug 04, 2026