Why do Canadian airports start with Y?

Look at a Canadian boarding pass and you'll almost always see a Y. Toronto Pearson is YYZ, Vancouver is YVR, Montréal is YUL, Calgary is YYC and Ottawa is YOW. Edmonton (YEG), Winnipeg (YWG), Halifax (YHZ), Québec City (YQB) and Victoria (YYJ) follow the same rule.

Where the Y came from

The usual explanation goes back to the early days of radio. Canada gave its weather and radio stations two-letter identifiers. When three-letter airport codes became the standard, Canada added a Y in front of the old two letters, and the habit stuck. Historians differ on some of the details, but the result is clear: Y now means Canada almost everywhere you look.

Why the letters after the Y look random

Because the last two letters came from those old station identifiers, many don't match the city's name at all. That's why Toronto is YYZ and not something like YTO. (YTO does exist, but as a city code covering all of Toronto's airports.)

A code with a fan club

YYZ might be the most famous airport code in music. The Canadian rock band Rush named an instrumental track "YYZ" in 1981, and its opening rhythm spells the letters out in Morse code.

How to remember them

• Ignore the Y and look at the last two letters: YVR, Vancouver; YOW, Ottawa; YQB, Québec.
• Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton are the odd ones out, so learn YYZ, YYC and YEG by heart.