Modules
4. Dates, times and places
Mary Vallis
As with all things CP style, the goal of presenting numbers in a certain way is to make them as easy to understand as possible.
There are a few general rules around dates and address that make the format easy to follow:
- Numbers in dates and addresses always use numerals, even when they are below 10.
- If you have the specific date or time, abbreviate the month or street type. If you’re speaking more generally, spell the whole word out.
Here are some examples:
Send the package to Centennial College’s Story Arts Centre at 951 Carlaw Ave.
The fall semester always begins in September.
The fall semester began on Sept. 7, 2021.
When the specific date is known, the months of the year are abbreviated as follows: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. If it’s not on this list, use the whole word (March, April, May, June, July).
Always use the exact date whenever you can. Being specific is always better. If you are including the year, use commas on either side of it.
If you’re speaking about something that just happened, or something imminent (within seven days of when your story will be published), you can simply use the day of the week rather than presenting the date. CP style never uses words such as “today” or “yesterday.”
Here are some examples:
The track meet will take place in Riverdale Park on Friday.
The meeting was held on Thursday.
If you want to give the exact time, use a numeral and put periods in a.m. and p.m.:
The track meet will take place in Riverdale Park on Friday at 8 a.m.
The meeting was held on Thursday; the vote was scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Places
It’s always a good idea to mention the province a community is in to be as specific as possible (there are more than one London and Vancouver in the world, after all).
CP style uses these abbreviations for the provinces: Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.L., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Nvt.
The names of countries are generally spelled out.
Here are some examples:
A major crude oil discovery made near Leduc, Alta., on Feb. 13, 1947, led to a boom in petroleum exploration.
Canadians will once again be able to cross the border into the United States at the crossing near Windsor, Ont., as of Nov. 8.
The storm blew through Manitoba overnight.
Your Turn
Activity 4.1
Long Descriptions for Images
Image 4.1 Centennial College Story Arts Centre long description:
Centennial College’s Story Arts Centre is a two-storey brick building at the corners of Mortimer and Carlaw Avenues in Toronto. The journalism department is based on this campus.
Image 4.2 CP Style Sentence with Dates long description:
Don’t forget to set your clock your clocks back on Dec.30, 2021, the same weekend as last year.
This sentence illustrates how to write dates in an abbreviated format when the exact date is known.
Media Attributions
- Centennial College Story Arts Centre © Mary Vallis is licensed under a CC BY-NC (Attribution NonCommercial) license
- CP Style Calendar Image © Peiyuan Li is licensed under a CC BY-NC (Attribution NonCommercial) license
