Skip to content Skip to institutional links

Common menu bar links

1.2 Message: Identification of programs and services

FIP Manual, September 1987

Introduction

Messages that identify services or inform about programs appear in many applications of the FIP. These messages play an important role in helping the general public gain access to government services.

This section is intended to clarify FIP policy as it applies to the identification of programs and services, including the use and presentation of the official languages. It should be used with Chapter 470, “Federal Identity Program” of the Administrative policy manual.

To help users of the FIP Manual to develop an appropriate version of a message in each official language, certain rules of style and usage have been included in this section. These rules were prepared in consultation with the Translation Bureau, Department of the Secretary of State of Canada.

Plain and simple

Government programs and services should be identified in plain language that clearly describes their purpose. Messages should meet the needs of the public. Therefore they should be brief, and should not describe organizational hierarchies. Functional identification is user-oriented. Organizational identification on the other hand, primarily serves a bureaucracy.

The need for guidelines was identified following a review of the message content in FIP applications such as forms, advertising, paid announcements, and signage. The review showed a preoccupation with bureaucratic concerns and a failure to identify programs and services clearly to the public. It also revealed errors in the text and a disregard for the standards of style and usage of each official language.

The purpose of these guidelines is to clarify government policy and to explain how it can be implemented.

Scope

Guidelines are provided on the creation and presentation of messages in both official languages. Such messages identify government programs and services, and generally include titles, addresses or other information needed by the public.

The fields of application for these messages include stationery, calling cards, forms, public notices, advertising and signage.

Directly related is the use of titles and addresses in a telephone directory (e.g. blue pages) or an index to federal programs and services. The use of service titles may also affect telephone answering.

Objectives

The guidelines on the creation and presentation of messages are based on these objectives:

to facilitate access to federal programs and services;
to promote consistency and clarity in the writing and presentation of both official languages;
to promote the functional identification of government services;
to assist effective communication in applications where messages must be concise.

Responsibilities

Each government organization is responsible for the content and the linguistic quality of texts in both official languages. To ensure that messages are correct in every respect, organizations should provide appropriate controls.

Identification: a systems approach

Coherent messages are the basis of systematic identification. On a visual level, the FIP provides coherence through the consistent use of graphic elements; on a verbal level, the applied title identifies an organization in a consistent manner.

Managing a system Messages that identify programs and services form an important part of an organization’s corporate identity. Generally, it is the FIP coordinator who maintains an overview of all the applications of an organization’s corporate identity and who can best advise on messages that identify services. Messages must be clear and consistent to meet the needs of the public. The modes of contact by the public vary and may include personal contact in an administrative setting or a field situation, or contact by mail or telephone.

Identification of government services The relationship between corporate and service identification should be evaluated. The term “corporate identification” means the identity as expressed by an organization’s signature, “Canada” wordmark, standard typeface, and specific colours and layout. Generally, the corporate identification is supplemented by a message that is specific to a particular service or location

Access to government services The interaction between information provided in advance and the identification provided at the point of service should be assessed. It is an analysis of the process people use to find and gain access to government programs and services (Fig. 2).

Message: Who needs to know? Messages must be ‘tuned” to the receiver, the public. To produce an effective message, the author must know the nature of the particular public and its needs for information. To help the public to find and gain access, a user-centered approach is needed. Messages referring to a government service should be consistent wherever they appear, in advance of, or at the point of service.

Information provided in advance

Much of the advance information available to the public is found in sources such as telephone directory “blue pages”. Other advance information is provided by federal organizations in the form of printed material or advertisements. Within an identification system, the terms used and the type of message provided in advance should be reflected at the point of service. For example, the title or address listed in the “blue pages” should appear on a sign identifying the location of the service; the name of a service appearing on a sign should be used when referring to this service in a brochure and when answering the telephone in the office providing this service (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3 Identification of an organization in various listings on the primary sign.

Service titles These are names that identify an organizational unit, program or service and appear in conjunction with the signature of the parent organization. Establishing these titles is the function of the corporate identity manager, and organizations are encouraged to review their existing titles in terms of the criteria set out below.

Titles should be applied consistently throughout an organization. This is most important for titles that are used in communications with the public. Organizations with regional operations should establish these titles centrally to achieve uniformity throughout all regions. A service title should respect the following criteria:

be as brief as possible to promote effective communication;
begin with a key word and avoid the repetition of words or concepts used in the title of the parent organization;
respect the linguistic usage in both official languages; and
not contain an abbreviation or ampersand (&).

Brevity

The need to use these titles in applications where messages must be concise (e.g. signs, directories) should be a prime consideration. Certain words may be redundant: Canadian, Canada, Government, Federal or National. Similarly, certain general terms that reflect an organization’s structure may be avoidable: Administration, Office, Branch or Division. These terms reflect an organization’s hierarchy and are often of little significance to the general public which relies on key words to locate and gain access to services.

Assisting the ultimate user

The creation of an acronym should not be the sole consideration when determining a service title. A hypothetical example would be the title “Board of Industrial Development (BID)” as opposed to “Industrial Development Board (IDB)”. The latter does not produce an acronym, but it does start with the key word “Industrial”, an obvious advantage in alphabetical listings. (It is recognized that a similar use of key words probably would not be feasible when creating a French title.)

Abbreviations: language of codes

A service title should not contain an abbreviation. It would be unrealistic however, to dismiss the need for abbreviations in government communications. For those who create them and use them regularly, abbreviations form a convenient “shorthand”, but for the public they represent a language of codes that is at best difficult to decipher and at worst incomprehensible. Messages directed at the public should not contain acronyms or abbreviations unless they appear in the context of the full title.

Message: editing and design

Editing and design both give meaning and form to a message. The transition from the first draft or layout to the final communication is a process of arranging, organizing, and in many cases rephrasing. The choice of words, of spatial relationships and of expressive graphic elements results in meaningful and purposeful communications. An objective review takes place during the process of drafting and designing.

The process: verbal and visual Throughout this section, the guidelines and examples deal with words and typography, or content and form. The task of combining these elements is a good deal more than an arrangement of the message on, for example, a sign. Communicating a message effectively requires methodology. This includes:

skillful choice of words;
organization of the words into a logical sequence;
presentation of the words in typographic, spatial terms.

The first and second aspects are verbal and the responsibility of the editor; the last is visual and involves the designer. All three are interrelated and the thought processes and goals are identical: to give meaning to a message, to strengthen its significance, to make the important stand out against the unimportant. A message presented in “tone-of-voice” typography reflects the relative importance of verbally expressed thoughts; it gives impact to a communication (Fig. 4).

Equally important are an understanding of the conditions under which the message is to be received and an awareness of its continuity with related information. This points to the need for coordination and the importance of editing and design: to transcribe the available information into words; to project these in a dynamic form; and to help achieve a communication that is easy to understand.

Official languages: side by side

When presenting the two official languages in a side by side format, care must be taken to achieve equivalence in both content and appearance. The following guidelines deal with the process of combining English and French texts in a bilingual layout.

Equivalence The policy (Chapter 470) requires a message to be equally complete in each official language and to correspond in all respects.

To achieve equivalence in both content and number of lines, a revision of the original text may be required. This could include segmenting the text into main and secondary messages, or rephrasing.

Choosing the line breaks

Messages that are to be presented in more than one line should be broken into readable phrases. Articles and prepositions at the end of a line should be avoided. In addition, an attempt should be made to provide a visual balance between the two language columns. Although a visual balance is generally achieved by using the same number of lines for each language, compromises may have to be made to avoid one language column of three or more lines, each consisting of one word only (Fig. 5).

Message elements common to both languages Many messages include an element that is common to both official languages, e.g. a geographical name or street name that may not be translated, a Street number, an expression of time, a distance, or a directional arrow.

Depending on its context within the total sign message, a common element may be presented in several ways:

Where a common element forms the main message (or an important part of the total message), it should be emphasized in relation to the remaining text. In such cases, a repeat of the common element in the right hand column may be redundant. The examples show the effect of different character sizes and how a common element should be emphasized (Fig. 6).
Where an element is common to both official languages but does not require emphasis in the context of the message, the common element should appear in each language column of the sign.

Use of proper names requiring a qualifying term

Where a message includes a proper name or other noun requiring a qualifying term, both the noun and its qualifier must appear in each language column. Proper names should be presented as in Jackson Building / Immeuble Jackson, and not run together as in Immeuble Jackson Building. (See also “Names of buildings, structures and sites”.)

Similarly, where a proper name is normally accompanied by a qualifying term, it should not be “bilingualized” by omitting the qualifying term. For instance, a word indicating the type of thoroughfare (Street, Avenue, Boulevard) may not be deleted from an address.

Addresses: functional and concise

Addresses appear on letterheads, envelopes, calling cards, forms, advertisements and signs. The address may be required for mailing purposes, to allow contact in person, or both. The following guidelines are intended to promote the use of functional identification and, wherever possible, to limit the amount of text that an address contains. In the case of mailing addresses, the requirements of the Canada Postal Standards must be met and are reflected here.

General considerations Careful consideration should be given to the use or purpose of an address: Is all the text essential? Is some information non-essential but useful? Are certain details redundant? A concise address is easier to transcribe and more efficient for mail processing. Generally, an address consists of:

functional identification (service title, title of an individual, applied title); and
geographic identification (room or floor numbers, building name, street address, place name, province or territory, and postal code).

An address may be shortened by determining whether it includes:

Non-essential information, such as a building name where the street address provides adequate information, or a room or floor number where the signage system serves to indicate specific locations;
Redundant information, such as the name of an organizational unit that expresses the hierarchy but serves no purpose in identifying the location.

Commonly used terms

To assist users of this manual in developing an English and French version of an address, the terms most commonly used have been included in Appendix A of this section.

Mailing addresses The following pertains to printed return addresses for items such as envelopes, letterheads, forms and calling cards. For locations outside the National Capital Region an address generally consists of the applied title which appears in the signature, plus:

service title, if required;
area identification (e.g. floor, building name), if required;
street address, P.O. box number and station, if required;
place name, province or territory (or country): and
postal code.

Examples of typical addresses are shown below (Fig. 7).

Addresses for the National Capital Region (NCR)

Centralized mail processing for NCR locations identified by a “K1A” postal code makes the use of a street address, building name or area identification redundant. A return address generally consists of the applied title which appears in the signature, plus:

service title, If required;
place name, province (or country); and
postal code.

Note: Printed return addresses for offices located in Quebec using a “K1A” postal code should show the actual place name, not ‘Ottawa”.

The following examples show the presentation of addresses in both official languages, optional use of a bilingual address and layout options (Fig. 8).

Return envelopes, Business Reply Mail

When both official languages are used for such items, the preprinted mailing address should be presented as illustrated (Fig. 9). The service title (if required) and the applied title shall appear in both official languages. The remainder of the address should appear in the official language of the majority of the population in that province or territory. Generally, the upper left corner of the face of the mail piece is reserved for the return address of the sender.

Sign communications

Visibility, legibility, readability and comprehension have an effect on the communications value of a sign. Described here are aspects of message content, readability and comprehension.

Principles Several factors make sign communications distinct from most other media. The following principles apply when determining a message:

Brevity: maximum of five units of information per language;
Clarity despite brevity;
Familiarity of words (short, familiar words help comprehension);
Equivalence in meaning of texts in each of the official languages;
Context: much of the meaning of a sign is derived from the environment, and therefore self-explanatory;
Logic in the sequence of the message elements;
Distinction between main and secondary message;
Consistency within a signage system;
Impact of a sign on its environment.

The following guidelines and examples show how these principles should be applied.

Primary identification signs In general, primary signs that identify services provided directly to the public should contain functional information about the location, the service offered, or both. A message may vary depending on the type of facility or site, its location, the services provided, and the type of occupancy, single or shared.

Determining the message

When determining a message, the following questions should be asked:

What is the most effective method of helping the public to locate the facility and gain access to the services offered?
What information is available to the public about the address of the location or services provided (e.g. listings in telephone directory “blue pages” or an index to federal programs and services)?
What information is implied in the context of the environment and would appear redundant as part of the message (e.g. a place name)?
Should a service title, an address, a building or place name, or a combination of these be used?
What limitations are imposed by sign dimensions, placement, and therefore message length?
Is an advance sign required and should the message be segmented to appear on separate, successive signs?
Should part of the text be emphasized to distinguish the main message and what is the effect on reading distances?

Generally, there are a number of options when determining the message content. The process from initial draft (Fig. 10) to a number of layout options is described below (Fig. 11).

Identifying the service

Service titles should be used where a description of the services offered or the functions performed appears to be more effective than a message pertaining to the location. Service titles are often used to identify single occupancy facilities or sites (Fig. 12).

Identifying the location

In many instances, a message pertaining to the location of a facility is recommended, and this applies in particular to multi occupancy buildings. A visitor looking for a particular location normally searches for an address, a building or place name and seeks confirmation on a sign identifying the destination. A decision on whether to include the street address or the building name should be based on what information is provided through existing signs other than FIP signage (a street number, a building name) and how visible these other signs are in relation to the location of the primary identification sign. Normally, the message should complement rather than repeat information that appears elsewhere.

It may be helpful to include the street address on the primary sign, if the location is generally known by the address, i.e. the number (Fig. 13). However, in cases where the street number appears prominently near the entrance, a repeat on the primary sign may be redundant.

Use of a place name may be essential to identify sites such as airports or parks. Conversely, it may be redundant to include a place name with a function or a service title. Examples are messages such as “Peterborough Public Wharf” or “Winnipeg Regional Office”; in the context of a sign, a distinction between other wharves or other regional offices is normally not required (Fig. 14).

The use of building names on primary signs is subject to the following considerations:

Any Crown-owned building or other structure that has been named after a person shall be identified by that name on the primary sign.
Any names (other than those described under (a) above) that appear in the form of architectural lettering or on commemorative plaques can be considered as distinct from the functional and corporate identification provided by signs. Repeating such a name on the sign may not be required.
General terms such as “Federal Building” or “Government of Canada Building” are not recommended for primary signs. These terms may be redundant in the context of the federal signature and wordmark.
Special considerations apply to the use of names of leased buildings. Apart from any other requirements governing the use of names, it should first be determined whether the name of the building should be used at all.
To identify the location, the street address rather than the building name is recommended. In fact, in many instances, the name appears already on the face of the building, and therefore should not be included on the primary sign. An exception to this rule would be a case where the name is essential to identify a location clearly, such as a number of separate units or entrances of a building complex (e.g. as in the case of “Place de Ville, Tower A” in the National Capital Region).

Directory boards Messages on a directory board complement the primary sign by listing the organizations, programs or services and their location within a facility (Fig. 15).

Analyzing the needs

A multi storey building may require a main directory board at the entrance with secondary boards at internal traffic junctions such as elevator lobbies. The main board provides general information on the occupants, and details are listed on the secondary board. An analysis is required to determine;

What information is required most frequently by visitors?
What information must appear on the main board and what information should be provided at internal traffic junctions?
What is the most suitable sequence for the listing?

Message content

The text for a directory board should be concise and descriptive. Listings should begin with a key word to facilitate access. A directory board is not an organization chart and terms describing the hierarchy may often be avoided without loss of clarity. For example, listings such as “Health and Safety” or “Education, Training and Development” may not need to be qualified by a word such as Branch, Division or Section.

Titles of officials may appear on a directory board if it is an operational requirement. For example, the main directory board may identify the office of deputy minister or other senior official and list the names of programs and services; the titles of other officials would appear on the secondary board, as required.

Message organization and sequence

The length or complexity of the text and the operational requirements should be considered when determining the most effective order of the listing. The sequence may be arranged by:

frequency of use by the public;
area (e.g. beginning with the ground floor or the top floor);
an organization’s hierarchy (e.g. beginning with the title of a senior official or the main organizational unit); or
alphabetical order (for each official language).

Operational signs

These signs supplement the information provided by the primary identification sign or directory board and form part of the signage system (Fig. 16).

Operational signs indicate the location of service, identify an area. provide information or direction, or identify the occupant of a room or work station (name plate). See section 4.3 for additional examples of these signs.

Project signs

These signs provide on site information about government programs or projects (Fig. 17). The message on such a sign should be a clear and concise statement that tells the public about the nature of the program or project and, where applicable, the level of the government’s contribution.

The message, and the terminology used, should be meaningful to the local population. The text should not refer to government instruments, agreements or organizational units, unless they have special meaning for the public.

Official languages: style

Certain rules of style pertain to applications of the FIP in general and are brought together here to assist in the preparation of messages. It is beyond the scope of this section to treat the subject in depth, and readers should consult standard reference books for comprehensive information. A list of suggested titles is shown in the “Bibliography”.

Titles The applied titles of federal organizations and the official titles of ministers are listed in Appendix A “Titles of organizations” of Chapter 470.

Abbreviations In general, abbreviations should not be used in applications of the FIP except where space is limited, such as on calling cards. Consult Appendix A of this section for the abbreviated form of terms commonly used in addresses.

For the official initialisms and acronyms of federal organizations, consult Appendix A of Chapter 470.

Accents French texts shall include all orthographical signs required by words (i.e. accents on both upper and lower case characters, cedilla, diaeresis). As a temporary measure, this rule does not apply to certain computer-generated texts where it is not yet technically feasible.

Capitalization Questions on the use of capitals often arise from certain distinctions between English and French usage. In French usage, the same rules apply whether the words in question occur in a prose text or in a title or heading. In English usage, the rules for capitalization within prose passages differ from those for titles, headings or inscriptions. In the latter case initial capitals are used not only for the first word but also for all other words except articles (a, an, the), prepositions, and conjunctions.

In the English part of FIP applications, the capitalization rule for headings or for prose texts may be used. However, once a method has been chosen, it should be applied consistently throughout (e.g. within the same system of signs). The examples show the effect when applying either of the two methods (Fig. 18).

Punctuation The rules of punctuation differ in English and French in certain respects. The typical differences relevant to FIP applications are described briefly below. A more comprehensive treatment of these and other rules of punctuation may be found in the style guides listed in the “Bibliography”.

Quotation marks To indicate a quotation, English uses these symbols “ ”, whereas French usage requires these « ». (Fig. 19).

Writing an address The following rule applies to a place name lowed by the name of a province or territory. In French, the name of the province or territory is enclosed in parentheses, while a comma is used in English to set off the name (Fig. 20).

Writing of compound proper names In English, a space is normally used between proper names, whereas French usage gene; a hyphen. The appropriate convention should be followed when writing the names of provinces, cities, streets and buildings in FIP applications.

Points of the compass The following rule applies to addresses in FIP applications. When the east, west, north, south are used with a street should appear with initial capitals. In both French addresses the cardinal point appear name of the street (Fig. 21).

Dates The all numeric form of dating is concise and may be particularly appropriate on documents that are presented in both official languages.

The format recommended is in accordance with CAN/CSA Z234.4 76 (Canadian Standards Association) and ISO 2014 (International Organization for Standardization). The standards prescribe the all numeric writing of dates in descending order: year, month, day.

The year, month and day are separated by either a space or short dash as illustrated (Fig. 22).

Time of day On documents, notices and signs presented in both official languages, it may be desirable to use the 24 hour system for representing time of day.

The recommended method is in accordance with CAN/CSA Z234.4 76 (Canadian Standards Association) and ISO 3307 (International Organization for Standardization).

The hour is represented by a two digit number ranging from 00 up to 23 (or 24), and the minute and second are represented by a two digit number ranging from 00 up to 59. The colon is used as separator between hour and minute and between minute and second, as illustrated (Fig. 23). As required, time of day may be expressed in hours and minutes only.

Note: The instant of midnight should be represented (when seconds are included)as either 24:00:00, the end of one day, or 00:00:00, the beginning of the next day, according to circumstances.

Time duration The internationally recognized symbols of time, h for hour, min for minute and s for second should be used when expressing a measured time duration (Fig. 24).

Official languages: use of names

The use of names for buildings, sites and streets as well as geographical names is described below. Certain rules shall be observed when developing an appropriate version in each official language of a message containing such a name.

All inquiries about terminology related to names or their translations should be directed to the Terminology Directorate, Department of the Secretary of State of Canada.

Names of buildings, structures and sites The principles set out below are intended to clarify FIP policy on the use of the official languages in names for Crown owned buildings, structures or sites. These principles apply to the naming of all Crown owned real property. Where possible, they should also be observed when selecting a name for a building to be leased by the Crown with an option to purchase.

Use of the official languages when selecting a name

The following guidelines apply to all new names for Crown owned buildings, structures or sites. The selection of a name must take into account that a version in either official language is required. Before adopting a name, careful consideration should be given to its various components, including the way it will reflect the equivalence of the two official languages.

When selecting a name, it is important to be aware of the distinction between its “generic” and “specific elements. For example, in the name Jackson Building, the word Building is a “generic” element, whereas Jackson represents the “specific” element (the equivalent in French being, in this case, Immeuble Jackson). Normally, only “generics” have a version in either official language, since the “specific” component usually consists of a proper noun that cannot or must not be altered. Thus, a reliable way of ensuring that either official language is reflected in at least part of a name, is to include in it a “generic” component that has a counterpart in the other official language.

The following are among the more commonly-used “generics” for buildings and sites: in English, Building, Tower, Complex, Centre, Place, and Square; in French, Immeuble or Édifice (see below), Tour, Complexe, Centre, and Place.

Theoretically, it is possible to devise names for buildings or sites that are entirely “specific”, i.e. they contain no true “generic” or they do not necessarily lend themselves to a straightforward reformulation in the other official language. (L’Esplanade Laurier and Les Terrasses de la Chaudière, names of buildings found in the National Capital Region, may be viewed as examples.) However, when naming a Crown-owned building or site, there should be compelling reasons for a federal organization to select a name that does not reflect both official languages in some acceptable manner.

Translation of the word “building”

The character of a particular structure determines whether the term “building” should be rendered in French by the word “immeuble” or by “edifice”. Generally, the term “immeuble” is used for all urban, multi storey buildings used for administrative, commercial or residential purposes. The word “edifice” should be reserved for buildings significant for their architectural style and size, or for buildings that are representative or characteristic of the purpose that they serve, such as the Supreme Court or Parliament Buildings.

Street names Described here are cases where certain terms of an address may or may not be translated, depending on whether the term forms part of the official name or not.

Generally, a term indicating a type of public thorough fare such as Street, Avenue, Boulevard, or rue, avenue, boulevard, should be translated into French or into English, as the case may be, except in cases where the term forms part of the official name of the thoroughfare.

When the French terms Avenue (1^re, 2^e, etc.), Belvédère, Carrefour, Centre Chaussée, Chemin, Côte, Cour, Cours, Faubourg, Mail, Montée, Principale, Promenade, Quai, Rang (1^er, 2^e, etc.), Rue (1^re, 2^e, etc.), Place and Terasse are part of the official name of the thoroughfare, they should be translated.

Similarly, when the English terms Avenue (1^st, 2^nd, etc.), Centre, Circle, Court, Crescent, Drive, Garden, Main, Parkway, Range, Road, Square, Street (1^st, 2^nd, etc.) and Terrace are part of the official name of the thoroughfare, they should not be translated.

Inquiries about the official name of a public thorough-fare should be directed to the appropriate municipality.

Geographical names The federal government’s position with respect to geographical names is that their official form is the one adopted by the provincial, territorial or federal authority in whose jurisdiction the entity lies and endorsed by the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names.

For the purposes of the federal government, some geographical names have official forms in both English and French, including some geographical entities of Pan Canadian significance listed in Treasury Board Circular 1983-58.

Inquiries regarding the translation of geographical names should be addressed to the Terminology Directorate, Department of the Secretary of State of Canada.

Names of provinces and territories The official translation of the name of a province or territory shall be used as applicable. (See Appendix A.)

Names of other governments or institutions Where the name of another government or an institution is to be included in a message presented in a side by side bilingual format, that name may be in French or English, or both, as required by the other government or the institution concerned.

Bibliography

The Canadian Style: a guide to writing and editing.
The Department of Secretary of State of Canada.
Toronto: Dundurn Press Ltd. 1985.

The Chicago Manual of Style.
13^th ed. rev. and expanded, Chicago:
University of Chicago Press 1982.

White, Jan V. Editing by design.
New York: R.R. Bowker Co., 1974

Note: For additional references see the bibliographies of the works cited above.

Appendix A – Commonly used terms

The following list is intended to promote consistent terminology in both official languages.
Entries appearing in the light typeface indicate the abbreviated form or, as the case may be, whether the term should be written in full in all instances. Generally, abbreviations should be used only where space is very limited, such as on a calling card.

English	French
Alberta Alta.	Alberta Alb.
Apartment Apt.	appartement app.
Avenue Ave.	avenue av.
Boulevard Blvd.	boulevard boul.
British Columbia B.C.	Colombie-Britannique C. B.
Building Bldg. (see note)	Immeuble imm.; édifice édifice
County County	Comté cté
East E.	Est E.
Floor Floor	étage étage
Honourable, The The Hon.	honorable, L’ L’hon.
Level Level	niveau niveau
Manitoba Man.	Manitoba Man.
Member of Parliament M.P.	Membre du Parlement député
New Brunswick N.B	Nouveau-Brunswick N.-B.
Newfoundland Nfld.	Terre-Neuve T.N.
North N.	Nord N.
Northwest Territories N.W.T.	Territoires du Nord-Ouest T.N.O.
Nova Scotia N.S.	Nouvel1e-Écosse N.-É.
Ontario Ont.	Ontario Ont.
Post Office Box P.O. Box	boîte postale b.p.; case postale c.p.
Prince Edward Island P.E.I.	Ile-du-Prince-Édouard I.P.É.
Privy Councillor P.C.	Membre du Conseil privé c.p.
Quebec Que.	Québec Qc
Right Honourable, The The Rt. Hon	très honorable, Le Le très hon.
Road Rd.	chemin ch.
Room Rm.	bureau bureau; porte porte
Rural Route R.R.	route rurale r.r.
Saskatchewan Sask.	Saskatchewan Sask.
South S.	Sud S.
Station (postal facility) Stn.	succursale (postale) succursale
Station (scientific research facility) Stn.	station (établissement de recherches scientifiques) station
Street St.	rue rue
Suite Suite	porte (pour ensemble de bureaux) porte
West W.	Ouest O.
Yukon Territory Y.T.	Territoire du Yukon T.Y.

Note:
The distinction between the terms “édifice” and “immeuble” is described under “Names of buildings, structures and sites”.