Royal baby name could be big boost for princely-named Canadian cities

Any takers for a Prince Moose Jaw? Prince Jasper? Prince Toronto?

While Canadians in those cities probably aren't counting on their names being the name of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's newborn son and future heir to the British throne, other cities are getting ready to celebrate. The yet-to-be-named royal baby could become marketing gold for Canadian cities and national parks named after princes.

(Moose Jaw is not one of them.)

As the Great Kate Wait came to a close on July 22 with the arrival of the new prince, attention turned full-force to getting the first glimpse of the newborn as well as betting on what his first name might be. According to CNN, bookies across the UK have taken in more than $1.8 million in bets, and Ladbrokes names George as the current favourite (odds 2/1), The National Post reports, with James following closely behind at 4/1.

The mayor of Prince George, B.C., Shari Green, told the Vancouver Sun she wouldn’t be afraid to take advantage of the famous namesake if Will and Kate’s son were to be named George. It would give the largest city in northern B.C. a unique branding opportunity.

"Of course we would send our congratulations, maybe a small little basket of swag off to the Duke and Duchess to let them know where in the world Prince George is for their namesake," she said to the Sun. "I think it would be a very exciting opportunity for us; with 2015 coming and our 100th anniversary I think it fits very well."

Although tourist hotspots like Parliament Hill, Niagara Falls and the CN Tower lit up blue to honour the birth of Prince William and his wife Kate’s new son, these landmarks may have trouble vying for international attention if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge favour a Prince Rupert (B.C.) or Prince Albert (Saskatchewan).

But what about Prince Edward (Island)?

According to the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island, tourism already makes up approximately 7 per cent of its GDP from more than 1.2 million visitors that travel there each year. It's possible that P.E.I.'s own famous figure, Anne of Green Gables, may have to share the spotlight if the island gets a new namesake.