Symbols of Ontario
Encyclopedia
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's provinces
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
, and has established several provincial symbols.
Official symbols
| Symbol | Image | Adopted | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coat of arms Coat of arms A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth... |
Coat of Arms of Ontario Coat of arms of Ontario The coat of arms of Ontario was granted by Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria on 26 May 1868. This arms of Canada was shared with the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador and also used in the Canadian Red Ensign. The Dominion arms was simple and lacked supporters... |
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1909 | Originally granted by King Edward VII |
| Motto Motto A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments... |
Ut incepit fidelis sic permanet Loyal she began, loyal she remains |
1909 | Granted with other elements of the coat of arms | |
| Shield of Arms | Shield of Arms of Ontario | 1868 | The shield was granted by the Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria. | |
| Flag Flag A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist... |
Flag of Ontario Flag of Ontario The flag of Ontario was enacted by the Flag Act on May 21, 1965 in the Legislature of the Province of Ontario. The flag is a defaced Red Ensign, with the Union Flag in the canton and the Ontario shield of arms in the fly.... |
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May 21, 1965 | |
| The Great Seal | The Great Seal of the Province of Ontario |  |
January 1, 1870 | The Great Seal was authorized by an Order-in-Council. |
| Bird Bird Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from... |
Common Loon Gavia immer |
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June 23, 1994 | |
| Tree Tree A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to... |
Eastern White Pine Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,... Pinus strobus |
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May 1, 1984 | |
| Gemstone Gemstone A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments... |
Amethyst Amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief... |
1975 | Amethyst can be found in the areas surrounding Bancroft, North Bay and Thunder Bay. | |
| Flower Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs... |
White trillium Trillium grandiflorum |
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1937 | Very popular as a vehicle licence plate decoration. |
| Tartan Tartan Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns... |
Red and white with three shades of green and two shades of blue | June 23, 2000 | Symbolizing the forests and fields and water. | |
| Flag Flag A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist... |
The Franco-Ontarian Flag Franco-Ontarian Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois".... |
June 29, 2001 | Recognized under provincial law as the emblem of the French-speaking community in Ontario. | |
| Provincial Brand | trillium |  |
2006 | replaced an earlier trillium brand introduced in 1964 |
| Provincial Licence plate slogan | Yours to Discover | 1982 | replaced earlier slogan Keep it Beautiful c.1973; 'Tant a decouvrir was added in 2003 | |
| Provincial colours | green Green Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered... and gold Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a... |