THE ROYAL ARMS OF CANADA BY PROCLAMATION OF KING GEORGE V IN 1921The Royal Arms of Canada were established by proclamation of King George V on 21 November, 1921. On the ad-vice of the Prime Minister of Canada, Her Majesty the Queen approved, on 12 July, 1994, that the arms be aug-mented with a ribbon bearing the motto of the Order of Canada, DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM -“They desire a better country.”

This coat of arms was developed by a special committeeappointed by Order in Council and is substantially basedon a version of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom,featuring the historic arms of England and Scotland. Tothis were added the old arms of Royal France and thehistoric emblem of Ireland, the harp of Tara, thus hon-ouring many of the founding European peoples of mod-ern Canada. To mark these arms as Canadian, the threered maple leaves on a field of white were added.

The supporters, and the crest, above the helmet, are alsoversions of elements of the Royal Arms of the UnitedKingdom, including the lion of England and unicorn ofScotland. The lion holds the Union Jack and the unicorn,the banner of Royal France. The crowned lion holding themaple leaf, which is the The Royal Crest of Canada, has,since 1981, also been the official symbol of the GovernorGeneral of Canada, the Sovereign’s representative.

At the base of the Royal Arms are the floral emblems ofthe founding nations of Canada, the English Rose, theScottish Thistle, the French Lily and the Irish Shamrock.

The motto - A MARI USQUE AD MARE - “From sea tosea” - is an extract from the Latin version of verse 8 ofthe 72nd Psalm - “He shall have dominion also from seato sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”

THE NATIONAL FLAGThe National Flag of Canada, otherwise known as the Canadian Flag, was approved by Parliament and proclaimed byHer Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to be in force as of February 15, 1965. It is described as a red flag of the proportionstwo by length and one by width, containing in its centre a white square the width of the flag, bearing a single red mapleleaf. Red and white are the official colours of Canada, as approved by the proclamation of King George V appointingArms for Canada in 1921. The Flag is flown on land at all federal government buildings, airports, and military baseswithin and outside Canada, and may ap-propriately be flown or displayed by indi-viduals and organizations. The Flag is theproper national colours for all Canadianships and boats; and it is the flag flownon Canadian Naval vessels.

The Flag is flown daily from sunrise tosunset. However, it is not contrary to eti-quette to have the Flag flying at night.No flag, banner or pennant should beflown or displayed above the CanadianFlag. Flags flown together should be ap-proximately the same size and flownfrom separate staffs at the same height.When flown on a speaker's platform, itshould be against the wall or on a flagpole on the left, from the audience's point of view. When used in the body ofan auditorium, it should be to the right of the audience. When two or more than three flags are flown together, theFlag should be on the left as seen by spectators in front of the flags. When three flags are flown together, the Cana-dian Flag should occupy the central position.

A complete set of rules for flying the Canadian Flag can be obtained from the Department of Canadian Heritage.

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THE ROYAL UNION FLAGThe Royal Union Flag, generally known as theUnion Jack, was approved by Parliament on De-cember 18, 1964 for continued use in Canada asa symbol of Canada’s membership in the Com-monwealth of Nations and of her allegiance tothe Crown. It will, where physical arrangementsmake it possible, be flown along with the Na-tional Flag at federal buildings, airports, andmilitary bases and establishments within Canadaon the date of the official observance of theQueen’s birthday, the Anniversary of the Statuteof Westminster (December 11th), Common-wealth Day (second Monday in March), and onthe occasions of Royal Visits and certain Com-monwealth gatherings in Canada.

QUEEN’S PERSONAL CANADIAN FLAGIn 1962, Her Majesty The Queen adopted a per-sonal flag specifically for use in Canada. The de-sign comprises the Arms of Canada with TheQueen’s own device in the centre. The device -the initial “E” surmounted by the St. Edward’sCrown within a chaplet of roses - is gold on ablue background.

When the Queen is in Canada, this flag is flown,day and night, at any building in which She is inresidence. Generally, the flag is also flown be-hind the saluting base when She conducts troopinspections, on all vehicles in which She travels,and on Her Majesty’s Canadian ships (HMCS)when the Queen is aboard.

FLAG OF THE GOVERNOR GENERALThe Governor General’s standard is a blue flagwith the crest of the Arms of Canada in its cen-tre. A symbol of the Sovereignty of Canada, thecrest is made of a gold lion passant imperiallycrowned, on a wreath of the official colours ofCanada, holding in its right paw a red mapleleaf. The standard was approved by Her MajestyThe Queen on February 23, 1981. The GovernorGeneral’s personal standard flies whenever theincumbent is in residence, and takes precedenceover all other flags in Canada, except TheQueen’s.

CANADIAN ARMED FORCES BADGEThe Canadian Armed Forces Badge was sanctionedby Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in May 1967.The description is as follows:

Within a wreath of ten stylized maple leaves Red, acartouche medium Blue edge Gold, charged with afoul anchor Gold, surmounted by Crusader’s Swordsin Saltire Silver and blue, pommelled and hiltedGold; and in front an eagle volant affront head to thesinister Gold, the whole ensigned with a RoyalCrown proper.

The Canadian Forces Badge replaces the badges ofthe Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army, andthe Royal Canadian Air Force.

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ALBERTAThe Arms of the Province of Alberta were granted by Royal Warrant on May 30, 1907. On July 30th, 1980, the Armswere augmented as follows: Crest: Upon a Helm with a Wreath Argent and Gules a Beaver couchant upholding on itsback the Royal Crown both proper; Supporters: On the dexter side a Lion Or armed and langued Gules and on the sinis-ter side a Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana) proper; the Compartment comprising a grassy mount with theFloral Emblem of the said Province of Albertathe Wild Rose (Rosa acicularis) growing there-from proper; Motto: FORTIS ET LIBER (Strongand Free) to be borne and used together with theArms upon Seals, Shields, Banners, Flags or oth-erwise according to the Laws of Arms.

In 1958, the Government of Alberta authorizedthe design and use of an official flag. A flagbearing the Armorial Ensign on a royal ultra-marine blue background was adopted and theFlag Act proclaimed June 1st 1968. Propor-tions of the flag are two by length and one bywidth with the Armorial Ensign seven-elev-enths of the width of the flag carried in thecentre. The flag may be used by citizens of theProvince and others in a manner befitting itsdignity and importance but no other banner orflag that includes the Armorial Ensign may beassumed or used.

Floral Emblem: Wild Rose (Rosa Acicularis).Chosen in the Floral Emblem Act of 1930.

Provincial Bird: Great horned owl (budovirginianus). Adopted May 3, 1977.

BRITISH COLUMBIAThe shield of British Columbia was granted by Royal Warrant on March 31, 1906. On October 15th, 1987, the shieldwas augmented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The crest and supporters have become part of the provincial Armsthrough usage. The heraldic description is as follows: Crest: Upon a Helm with a Wreath Argent and Gules the RoyalCrest of general purpose of Our Royal Predecessor Queen Victoria differenced for Us and Our Successors in right ofBritish Columbia with the Lion thereof gar-landed about the neck with the ProvincialFlower that is to say the Pacific Dogwood(Cornus nuttallii) with leaves all proper MantledGules doubled Argent; Supporters: On the dex-ter side a Wapiti Stag (Cervus canadensis) properand on the sinister side a Bighorn Sheep Ram(Oviscanadensis) Argent armed and unguled Or;Compartment: Beneath the Shield a Scroll en-twined with Pacific Dogwood flowers slippedand leaved proper inscribed with the Motto as-signed by the said Warrant of Our Royal Prede-cessor King Edward VII that is to saySPLENDOR SINE OCCASU, (splendour with-out diminishment).

The flag of British Columbia was authorizedby an Order-in-Council of June 27, 1960. TheUnion Jack symbolizes the province’s originsas a British colony, and the crown at its centrerepresents the sovereign power linking the na-tions of the Commonwealth. The sun sets overthe Pacific Ocean. The original design of theflag was located in 1960 by Hon. W.A.C.Bennett at the College of Arms in London.

Floral emblem: Pacific Dogwood (CornusNuttallii, Audubon). Adopted under the FloralEmblem Act, 1956.

Provincial Bird: Steller’s jay. Adopted November 19, 1987.

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MANITOBAThe Arms of the Province of Manitoba were granted by Royal Warrant on May 10, 1905, augmented by warrant of theGovernor General on October 23, 1992. The description is as follows: above the familiar shield of 1905 is a helmet andmantling; above the helmet is the Crest, including the beaver holding a prairie crocus, the province’s floral emblem. Onthe beaver’s back is the royal crown. The left supporter is a unicorn wearing a collar bearing a decorative frieze of ma-ple leaves, the collar representing Manitoba’s posi-tion as Canada’s “keystone” province. Hangingfrom the collar is a wheel of a Red River cart. Theright supporter is a white horse, and its collar ofbead and bone honours First Peoples. The support-ers and the shield rest on a compartment represent-ing the province’s rivers and lakes, grain fields andforests, composed of the provincial tree, the whitespruce, and seven prairie crocuses. At the base is aLatin translation of the phrase “Glorious and Free.”

The flag of the Province of Manitoba wasadopted under The Provincial Flag Act, assentedto May 11, 1965, and proclaimed into force onMay 12, 1966. It incorporates parts of the RoyalArmorial Ensigns, namely the Union and RedEnsign; the badge in the fly of the flag is theshield of the arms of the province.

Description: A flag of the proportions two bylength and one by width with the Union Jack oc-cupying the upper quarter next the staff and withthe shield of the armorial bearings of the prov-ince centered in the half farthest from the staff.

Floral Emblem: Pasque Flower, known locally asPrairie Crocus (Anemone Patens). Adopted 1906.

Provincial Bird: Great gray owl. Adopted July16, 1987.

NEW BRUNSWICKThe Arms of New Brunswick were granted by Royal Warrant on May 26, 1868. The motto SPEM REDUXIT (hope re-stored) was added by Order-in-Council in 1966. The description is as follows: The upper third of the shield is red andfeatures a gold lion, symbolizing New Brunswick’s ties to Britain. The lion is also found in the arms of the Duchy ofBrunswick in Germany, the ancestral home of King George III. The lower part of the shield displays an ancient galleywith oars in action. It could be interpreted as a refer-ence to the importance of both shipbuilding and sea-faring to New Brunswick in those days. It is alsobased on the design of the province’s original greatseal which featured a sailing ship on water. Theshield is supported by two white-tailed deer wearingcollars of Indian wampum. From one is suspendedthe Royal Union Flag (the Union Jack), from theother the fleur-de-lis to indicate the province’s Britishand French background. The crest consists of an At-lantic Salmon leaping from a coronet of gold mapleleaves and bearing St. Edward’s Crown on its back.The base, or compartment, is a grassy mound withfiddleheads as well as purple violets, the provincialfloral emblem. The motto “Spem Reduxit” is takenfrom the first great seal of the province.

The flag of New Brunswick, adopted by Proclamationon February 24, 1965, is based on the Arms of theprovince. The chief and charge occupy the upperone-third of the flag, and the remainder of the armorialbearings occupy the lower two-thirds. The proportionis four by length and two and one half by width.

Floral Emblem: Purple Violet (Viola Cuculata).Adopted by Order-in-Council, December 1, 1936, atthe request of the New Brunswick Women’s Institute.

Provincial Bird: Black-capped chickadee. AdoptedAugust 1983.

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NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADORThe Arms of Newfoundland were granted by Royal Letters Patent dated January 1, 1637 by King Charles I. The he-raldic description is as follows: Gules, a Cross Argent, in the first and fourth quarters a Lion passant guardantcrowned Or, in the second and third quarters an Unicorn passant Argent armed and crined Or, gorged with a Coronetand a Chain affixed thereto reflexed of the last.Crest: on a wreath Or and Gules a Moose passantproper. Supporters: two Savages of the climearmed and apparelled according to their guisewhen they go to war. The motto reads QUAERITEPRIMEREGNUM DEI (seek ye first the kingdomof God).

The official flag of Newfoundland, adopted in1980, has primary colours of Red, Gold and Blue,against a White background. The Blue section onthe left represents Newfoundland’s Common-wealth heritage and the Red and Gold section onthe right represents the hopes for the future withthe arrow pointing the way. The two trianglesrepresent the mainland and island parts of theprovince.

Floral Emblem: Pitcher Plant (SarraceniaPurpurea). Adopted June 1954.

Provincial Bird: Atlantic puffin.

NORTHWEST TERRITORIESThe Arms of the Northwest Territories were approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on February 24, 1956. Thecrest consists of two gold narwhals guarding a compass rose, symbolic of the magnetic north pole. The white upperthird of the shield represents the polar ice pack and is crossed by a wavy blue line portraying the Northwest Passage.The tree line is reflected by a diagonal line sepa-rating the red and green segments of the lowerportion of the shield: the green symbolizing theforested areas south of the tree line, and the redstanding for the barren lands north of it. The im-portant bases of northern wealth, minerals andfur, are represented by gold billets in the greenportion and the mask of a white fox in the red.

The official flag of the Northwest Territories wasadopted by the Territorial Council on January 1,1969. Blue panels at either side of the flag repre-sent the lakes and waters of the Territories. Thewhite centre panel, equal in width to the two bluepanels combined, symbolizes the ice and snow ofthe North. In the centre of the white portion is theshield from the Arms of the Territories.

Floral Emblem: Mountain Avens (DryasIntegrifolia). Adopted by the Council on June 7,1957.

Provincial Bird: Gyrfalcon. Adopted June 1990.

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