Cent Belt

Cent Belt - A definition

‘Cent Belt’ is derisive term used about 1910, in Alberta and Western Canada to describe Ontario and Eastern Canada. At that time in the West, they had no use and would never use the penny which was common in the East.

(The term is used in a few of the ‘Blue Pete’ novels which started appearing in 1921, written by ‘Luke Allan’, who was W. Lacey Amy, a former editor/owner of the Medicine Hat Times newspaper.

A photo of Canadian coinage from 1911 with the ‘cent’ coin to the right. The remaining coins had silver content, 5, 10, 25, and 50, proceeding left.