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From: msb@lsuc.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Canadian/American/British English
Message-ID: <1045@lsuc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-Jan-86 04:23:07 EST
Article-I.D.: lsuc.1045
Posted: Sat Jan 18 04:23:07 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Jan-86 04:40:31 EST
References: <1180@utai.UUCP>
Reply-To: msb@lsuc.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Organization: Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto
Lines: 29
Summary: Note on newspaper usage

> "Harbour" is generally so spelled.  However, _The_Globe_and_Mail_ ("Canada's
> National Newspaper") insists on U.S. spellings to the extent that it always
> gives "Harbourfront" (a lakeshore development in Toronto) as "Harborfront",
> even though it is a proper name.

The Toronto Star (the leading-circulation paper in the city) does this
too, and I know why.

The reason it, it's Canadian Press style.  The Canadian Press is,
nowadays, essentially the only wire service in Canada.  (By the way,
it's owned as a cooperative by the 100+ newspapers that use its services.)
Like all papers, the Star uses lots of wire service copy, and they
don't want to have to go through it changing all the spellings.
I think we can assume that the G&M feels the same way.

And why does The Canadian Press use American spellings for some words?
For the same reason.  About 70% of their copy originates with the
American Press wire service, and is only lightly edited.  They do spell
"cheque" thus [if I remember rightly -- I have read their stylebook,
but that was some months ago]; but, I would think they reason, "colo(u)r"
is a rather commoner word and both spellings are already seen in Canada
to some extent, so they go with the American spelling.  And then, of
course, they have to be consistent and spell "harbor".

How the G&M and the Star justify using the spelling of "harbor" to
misspell the proper name "Harbourfront" mystifies me too.  I think
if I worked for Harbourfront I'd write a letter to the Starr and complain.

Mark Brader