# Place-Names of the Province of Nova Scotia/I

I
IMPEROYAL (H.)—The name given the place situated about two miles south from Dartmouth on the eastern side of Halifax Harbor. The name is made up from part of the Company's name that has built an Oil Refining and Storage System there, the Imperial Oil Company.
INDIAN BROOK (V.)—So named after a Micmac Indian named "Joe," a cooper by trade who lived in this vicinity.
INDIAN COVE (C. B.)—See "Prince of Wales Landing."
INDIAN CROSS POINT (P.)—So called owing to the discovery of a large Iron Cross about ten feet high.
The Indians called it "Soogunagade," or "rotting place." Now known as Fisher's Grant.
INDIAN POINT (L.)—A Micmac Indian headquarters in the early days, hence the name. The first white settlers were of German descent, among them were Lohnes, Ernst, Wentzel, Hyson, Eisenhauer and Zwicker.
INDIAN GARDENS (Q.)—This place on the Rossignol (now Liverpool River), was a great Indian resort, and was at one time called "Liverpool Ponhook." "Ponhook," an Indian word meaning "first lake."
INDIAN ISLAND (R.)—Also known as "Chapel Island." This is the place where the Micmac Indians of the surrounding districts assemble each year to the "Feast of St. Anne." The famous French Missionary, Father Maillard, gave the island its early name of "Ile Ste Famille," (The Island of the Holy Family).
It was given to the Indians in 1792 by Lieutenant-Governor McCormick, and permission was granted them to build a church upon it. In the "permission" the name is spelled "St. Villemai," which was evidently intended for "Ste. Famille.'
INDIAN ROAD BROOK (Hts.)—See Pebak.
INGONISH (V.)—This place was once known as "Port of Orleans." The old spelling was "Inganis" and "Inganiche" and on old plans "Ninganiche." Some believed it to be a Portuguese name, spelled "Ninganis." However, the meaning of the name is lost.
​It is said that the Portuguese had an important settlement here as early as 1521. The Indians called this place "Kegannagwetck."
In 1726 this was, with the exception of Louisburg, the most important place in Cape Breton.
INGRAMPORT (H.)—So named in 1905. Was previously known as "Ingram River." First settled by a family named Webbers.
INHABITANTS (R.)—See River Inhabitant-This is the name adopted by the Geographic Board of Canada, not Habitants nor River Inhabitants.
INVERNESS—Obviously named by the Scotch settlers in honor of their home land. It was at one time named "Justin au corps." Was set off from Cape Breton County in 1836, and formed into an independent County. As early as 1791, a large number of Scotch Roman Catholic settlers came to Inverness from the Hebrides. This County contains 1385 square miles.
IRISH COVE (C. B.)—This place was the home of a number of Irish settlers notably Cash's, Cashens and O'Callaghans and owing to this received its name. The Micmac Indian name was "Golbankik."
IRONBOUND ISLAND (L.)—There is an island of this name in Chester Bay and LaHave. One is called the "Chester Bay Iron Bound Island," and the other "LaHave Iron Bound Island. The latter was granted in the year 1778 to Leonard Christopher Wolfe.
IRISH MOUNTAIN (P.)—Named so owing to an Irishman named Patrick Finner being one of the first settlers there.
IONA (V.)—On the western side of the Grand Narrows or Barra Strait and once part of what was known as Grand Narrows Settlement. First settled by Scotch from the Hebrides via Pictou County in the year 1802.
Was first named "Saundrie," but was changed and called after the historic and sacred Isle in Scotland, in the year 1873, at the suggestion of Bishop McKinnon, who had visited the Scottish "Iona" and said that "Saundrie" resembled it. The name "Iona" was confirmed by an Act of Parliament in 1891. This place had a district or township name at one time of "Brooklesby."
"Iona" is Hebrew, after "Jonas," the prophet. Its equivalent in Latin is "Columba," and in English "Dove."
​IONA WEST (V.)—See Iona. Was formerly Grand Narrows rear, by an Act of Parliament in 1891 was given its present name.
ISAAC HARBOR (G.)—This place was named after an early negro settler named Isaac Webb. (See Goldboro.)
ISLAND POINT (C. B.)—An island point on Boularderie Island called by the Indians "Menakweskawei."
ISLE HAUT (C.)—Champlain in 1607, rounding Cape Chignecto, called here and named the Island "Isle Haut" in consequence of its elevation.
The Micmac Indians called this Island "Maskusetkik" from the word "Maskuset" meaning wild potatoes. "Maskusetkik" meaning "the place of wild potatoes."
ISLE MADAME (R.)—"My Lady's Isle." Once called "Nericka." Rand gives the Indian name as "Neilksaak."
This place was at one time named "Maurepas" by the French, in honor of a well-known French statesman of that name.
Nicholas Denys at one time referred to the Island as "The Island of St. Marie."
In the year 1768 a number of Acadians, who in 1765 had emigrated to St. Pierre and Miquelon, came to Cape Breton, took the oath of allegiance to Great Britain, and settled on Isle Madame.
ISKUNISH (Col.)—A stream near Onslow. The name is derived from an Indian word "Nesakunechkik" meaning "Place of Eel Weirs."