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Punkeydoodles Corners

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Coordinates: 43°21′13″N 80°44′3″W / 43.35361°N 80.73417°W / 43.35361; -80.73417
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Punkeydoodles Corners
Unincorporated community
Map
Coordinates: 43°21′13″N 80°44′3″W / 43.35361°N 80.73417°W / 43.35361; -80.73417
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Regional municipalityWaterloo
TownshipWilmot
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Forward sortation area
N3A
Area code(s)519 and 226
NTS Map040P07
GNBC CodeFCIUX

Punkeydoodles Corners is an unincorporated hamlet in southwestern Ontario, in Canada, known for its strange name[1] and frequent sign theft.[2] Although primarily located in the Wilmot Township, some portions of the hamlet extend into East Zorra – Tavistock and Perth East Townships. The origin of the name is somewhat disputed. Most claims date back to an inn and tavern located at the Corner during the late nineteenth century. The most frequently cited legend claims that the local German-speaking inn-keeper was given the name Punkey Doodle after he mispronounced the words of the song Yankee Doodle, which sounded more like "Punkey Doodle" to the tavern guests.[1] Other stories link the name to an old Victorian nursery word for frittering away time, or a nickname given to a lazy pumpkin farmer by his irritated wife. There have been suggestions that pumpkins were an early crop locally.[2] "Corners" refers to both the geographical feature of the intersecting roads as well as the convergence of Waterloo Region, Oxford County, and Perth County.

The most prominent moment in Punkeydoodles Corners history was Canada Day 1982, when Joe Clark was present for festivities. A post office was opened for one day to issue commemorative stamps.[2]

While the spelling and punctuation vary in common usage, the version recognized by both Statistics Canada and the Canadian Geographical Names Data Base is "Punkeydoodles Corners".[3]

The name of the hamlet frequently appears in lists of humorous place names.

The intersections at Punkeydoodles Corners have also been noted as being a particularly dangerous for drivers.[4][5][6] In 2024, Punkeydoodles Corners was the subject of a $1.08 million roadwork project intended to improve driver safety which included reducing the number of the intersections from three to one - including the permanent closure of the west leg of Punkeydoodles Avenue at Perth Road 101 and the north leg of Township Road 11 at the intersection with Perth Road 101, and realignment of the single remaining intersection at Oxford Road 5 - pavement reconstruction, new deceleration lanes, additional street lighting and improved signage.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Historic Place Names of Waterloo County - Punkeydoodles Corners, Wilmot Township". Region of Waterloo. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
  2. ^ a b c Stock, George. "Punkeydoodles Rules!". The Oxford Review. Archived from the original on 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2007-05-17.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ On either this Statistics Canada page[permanent dead link] or the CGNDB search form at Natural Resources Canada, a search for the name returns "Punkeydoodles Corners" as the only result.
  4. ^ Wong, Carmen. "'How many people need to die?': Residents raise concerns over Punkeydoodles Corners after fatal crash". CTV News Kitchener. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  5. ^ Villella, Stephanie. "New safety measures coming to Punkeydoodles Corners". CTV New Kitchener. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  6. ^ Williams, Robert. "Study into deadly Punkeydoodles Corners intersections could begin next year". Waterloo Region Record. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  7. ^ Sentinel-Review Staff. "Work set to begin in Punkeydoodles Corners". Woodstock Sentinel-Review. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
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