David Kirsh writes,
"What's the derivation of Boreal, as in Boreal province? Every other
province has some discernible location indicated in its name. Maybe Ross
Mayhew was dreaming he was in Bora Bora and influenced the naming?"

Clever, David, but the boreal Ross Mayhew had nothing to do with it ... this
time. "Boreas" is Greek for the north wind, or the north generally. The
Romans borrowed the word and used it in "borealis", northern: as in "aurora
borealis", the northern lights, literally the northern dawn. "Australis",
southern, comes from Latin auster, a hot, dry wind from the south.
Australia, then, is aptly named.

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama