## [Abbreviations: Canadian provinces and territories](/writing-tips-plus/abbreviations-canadian-provinces-and-territories) ## Accéder à du contenu similaire en français Du contenu similaire en français est présenté dans l’article [Provinces et territoires du Canada](../cles-de-la-redaction/provinces-et-territoires-du-canada). ## On this page - [Official abbreviations for names of provinces and territories](#official-abbreviations) - [When to use postal abbreviations](#postal-abbreviations) - [When to use traditional abbreviations](#traditional-abbreviations) - [When to write out the name in full](#name-in-full) - [Additional information](#additional-information) ## Official abbreviations for names of provinces and territories The names of most provinces and territories in Canada have two official abbreviations. One is the two-letter symbol recommended by Canada Post for use in mailing addresses; the other is the traditional abbreviation. In the table below, the names of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories are listed in alphabetical order, along with their official postal and traditional abbreviations. Names of Canadian provinces and territories, with their abbreviations | Province or territory | Canada Post symbol | Traditional abbreviation | Alberta | AB | Alta. | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | British Columbia | BC | B.C. | | Manitoba | MB | Man. | | New Brunswick | NB | N.B. | | Newfoundland and Labrador | NL | N.L. | | Northwest Territories | NT | N.W.T. | | Nova Scotia | NS | N.S. | | Nunavut | NU | --- | | Ontario | ON | Ont. | | Prince Edward Island | PE | P.E.I. | | Quebec | QC | Que. | | Saskatchewan | SK | Sask. | | Yukon | YT | Yk. | **Note:** No traditional abbreviation for the name **Nunavut** has been officially established as yet. Until the territory’s toponomy authority has reached a decision, write out the name of the territory in contexts other than addresses. ### When to use postal abbreviations In addresses in letters or other documents or on envelopes and parcels, use the two-letter symbol recommended by Canada Post for the name of the province or territory. These symbols, which are the same in both English and French, allow mail to be sorted more efficiently. Standards Council of Canada 200-270 Albert Street Ottawa, **ON** K1P 6N7 \[**not** Ottawa, Ont.\] Yellowknife City Hall 4807 52 Street Yellowknife, **NT** X1A 1T3 \[**not** Yellowknife, N.W.T.\] ### When to use traditional abbreviations Traditional abbreviations for the names of provinces and territories may be used in forms and tables; on maps, posters or signage; or anywhere where space is restricted. In text (outside of an address), the traditional abbreviation may be used when the name of a province or territory comes immediately after the name of a city, town, village or geographical feature: - The movie Snow Cake was partially filmed in Wawa, Ont. - Mount Robson, B.C., is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. - Freshwater salmon are native to Kathleen Lake in Kluane National Park, Yk. **Note:** It’s not necessary to use the provincial abbreviation after the names of well-known cities such as Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Fredericton. However, since the same name is often shared by several places in Canada and other parts of the English-speaking world (for example: Perth, Windsor, Hamilton), add the appropriate abbreviation after the names of lesser-known cities in cases where doubt could arise. ### When to write out the name in full If the name of the province or territory doesn’t immediately follow the name of a community or geographical feature, it must be written out in full: - An angler’s paradise, **Ontario** has more than 250,000 lakes. - Almost a quarter of the world’s temperate rainforest is found in **British Columbia**. - Kluane National Park is located in southwest **Yukon**. ## Additional information - [Addresses: Addresses on envelopes and parcels](addresses-on-envelopes-and-parcels) - [Addresses: Addresses in letters or other documents](addresses-in-letters-or-other-documents) ### Terminological records - [TERMIUM Plus® record “Nunavut”](https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&index=alt&srchtxt=nunavut&where=%27nunavut%27&menudom=filtrdom&domlistcchd=WHD%20%5B1%5D%3BRMA%20%5B1%5D%3BWEA%20%5B1%5D%3BWHA%20%5B1%5D%3B&domnumtsll=3&dom=WHA) - [TERMIUM Plus® record “Newfoundland and Labrador”](https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=Newfoundland+and+Labrador&index=ent&codom2nd_wet=WH#resultrecs) - [TERMIUM Plus® record “Yukon”](https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=YUKON&index=ent&codom2nd_wet=WH) ### Other resources - [Geographical names of pan-Canadian significance (opens in new tab)](https://natural-resources.canada.ca/geographical-names-pan-canadian-significance?_gl=1*177cq3i*_ga*MzUxNjEwMzUyLjE3Mjg2NTUzNzM.*_ga_C2N57Y7DX5*MTc0Mjg0ODI0Mi4xLjAuMTc0Mjg0ODI0Mi4wLjAuMA) ## Avis de droit d’auteur pour l’outil Writing Tips Plus © Sa Majesté le Roi du chef du Canada, représenté par le ou la ministre des Services publics et de l’Approvisionnement Un outil créé et mis en ligne par le Bureau de la traduction, Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada ## Rechercher par thèmes connexes Vous voulez en apprendre davantage sur un thème abordé dans cette page? 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Les résultats de recherche s’afficheront dans le [Navigateur linguistique](/fr/navigateur-navigator). - [Abbreviations, acronyms and symbols](/fr/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=All&sort_by=views&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A447#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results) - [Abbreviations](/fr/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=All&sort_by=views&f%5B0%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A447&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A448#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results) ## Liens connexes - [Writing Tips Plus](/fr/writing-tips-plus/index-fra) (page d’accueil) - [Outils d’aide à la rédaction](/fr/outils-tools/index-fra) - [Navigateur linguistique](/fr/navigateur-navigator) (permet de trouver rapidement des conseils linguistiques) - [TERMIUM Plus®](http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-fra.html?lang=fra)