“That on the application of the owners of property 6 new streets situate off Crumlin Road be named ‘Columba Street’, ‘Rosebank Street’, ‘Ohio Street’, ‘Oregon Street’, ‘Ottawa Street’, and ‘Montreal Street’, and a new street off London Road be named ‘Lismore Street’.” (23rd October 1895). "Columba Street" is an error for "Columbia Street".
Many streets were named after leading figures of the day — Kitchener, Methuen, Carrington, Disraeli, Moltke, Balfour, Elgin, Haig. Others reflected the Empire’s expansion — Canada, Montreal, Hudson. Of course there was an Empire Street, and nobody believed Klondyke Street was paved with gold. "Strange sounding names from Far Away Places" by Michael McRitchie in Belfast News-Letter - Tuesday 14 May 1974.