I was very confused when I came on this forum and first heard the term 'Alcan'. For a year or so I assumed that it was named after Alcan, the shortened name of the 'Aluminum Company of Canada'. They have a large smelter in Kitimat, where my wife grew up and I naturally assumed that Alcan had something to do with the construction of the highway. As a matter of interest I had heard of Alcan before I arrived in Canada as we had an Alcan factory near where I lived in Wales. Of course, there ALCAN stood for Aluminium Company of Canada!
As for the name 'Americans', I always thought it a little unfair that the US claimed the name of the entire continent for their own. I suggest that we use the LAST name of the person, from whom we got the name of the entire continent, Amerigo Vespucci.
So we are ALL Americans, Canadians, Mexicans and Vespuccians! See how easily rolls off the tongue! :B
