Symbols of Ontario

Ontario is one of Canada's provinces, and has established several provincial symbols.[1][2]

Official symbols

	Symbol	Image	Adopted	Remarks
Coat of arms	Coat of arms of Ontario		1868 and 1909 [2]	The original arms consisted of the current-day escutcheon, granted by Royal warrant of Queen Victoria on May 26, 1868. Addition of supporters, crest and motto, granted on February 27, 1909, by Royal warrant of King Edward VII.[3]
Motto	Ut incepit fidelis sic permanet Loyal she began, loyal she remains (alternatively: Loyal she began, thus she remains)[2]		1909 [2]	Granted with other elements of the coat of arms
Flag	Flag of Ontario	Flag of Ontario	May 21, 1965 [1]	It is a defaced Red Ensign, with the Royal Union Flag in the Canton, representing Ontario’s roots as a part of the British Empire, and the Ontario Shield of Arms in the Fly, symbolizing the province’s loyalty to Canada. [1] The flag was introduced in 1965 in the wake of lengthy debates on changing the Canadian Red Ensign with a unique Canadian flag.
The Great Seal	The Great Seal of the Province of Ontario	Great Seal of Ontario	January 1, 1870 [1]	The Great Seal was authorized by an Order-in-Council.
Bird	Common loon Gavia immer	Common loon	June 23, 1994 [2]	The image of a common loon is displayed on the Canadian One Dollar Coin; the coin is commonly called a "Loonie".
Tree	Eastern white pine Pinus strobus	Eastern white pine	May 1, 1984 [2]	Found throughout Ontario, the eastern white pine is the tallest tree in the province and can live over 250 years. Known as "the Tree of Great Peace" by the Haudenosaunee First Nations of Southern Ontario. The eastern white pine was also an important source of income and trade during the province’s early days. [2]
Gemstone	Amethyst	Amethyst	1975 [2]	Amethyst can be found in clusters throughout northern Ontario, concentrating around the area of Thunder Bay. [2]
Flower	White trillium Trillium grandiflorum	White trillium	1937 [2]	The adoption of the White Trillium grew out of a movement during the First World War to choose a national floral emblem appropriate for planting on the graves of Canadian servicemen overseas. Found in the forests and woodlands of Ontario, it blooms in late April and May. They are very sensitive to light and usually bend toward the sun as it moves across the sky. Contrary to popular belief, it is not illegal to pick a White Trillium in Ontario. However, picking the flower can seriously injure the plant and it can take years to recover. [2]
Tartan	Red and white with three shades of green and two shades of blue		June 23, 2000 [1]	Ontario tartan is made up of four blocks of colour: red, white, three shades of green and two shades of blue. The shades of green represent the forests and fields of Ontario, while the blue represents the waters. The red represents its First Nations and the white, the sky over the province. [2]
Emblem of the Lieutenant Governor	Emblem of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario	Emblem of the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario		Consists of the Escutcheon of Arms of Ontario, surmounted by St. Edward's Crown, surrounded by ten golden maple leaves.
Flag of the Lieutenant Governor	Flag of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario	Flag of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario	May 13, 1981 [4]	Consists of the Escutcheon of Arms of Ontario, surmounted by St. Edward's Crown, on a blue field, surrounded by ten golden maple leaves. It is flown outside the suite at Queen's Park when the Lieutenant Governor is in the provincial capital, Toronto. It is also displayed in the Lieutenant Governor’s office and in the Music Room, where ceremonies take place. It is mounted on the car in which the Lieutenant Governor travels, and is flown at public buildings, Canadian Forces establishments, and on Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships during official visits.[4] The flag of the Lieutenant Governor takes precedence over all other flags in Ontario, including the National Flag of Canada, except in the presence of The Queen, when The Queen’s Personal Canadian Flag is flown instead. The flag of the Lieutenant Governor also precedes the flag of the Governor General of Canada in cases where the Lieutenant Governor is hosting an event at which the Governor General of Canada is present. The flag is never lowered to half-mast; however, upon the death of a Lieutenant Governor while in office, it is taken down until a successor is installed. [4]
Franco-Ontarian Flag	Franco-Ontarian flag	The Franco-Ontarian Flag	June 29, 2001 [1][note 1]	Recognized under provincial law as an emblem of the province of Ontario, as well as Franco-Ontarians.[5]
Logo	Provincial wordmark 2019		2019-present	Current wordmark of the Government of Ontario
Logo	Provincial wordmark 2007		2007-2019	Previous wordmark of the Government of Ontario.
Logo	Provincial wordmark		1964	Previous wordmark of the Government of Ontario.[6]
Provincial Licence plate slogan	Yours to Discover		1982-2020 2020-present[7]	Replaced earlier slogan Keep it Beautiful (1973 - 1982). The slogan A Place to Grow had briefly replaced the Yours to Discover but was scrapped due to the plates having readability issues.[7] French equivalent available from 2008 onwards.
Provincial colours	Green and gold[8][9] or yellow [2]

Note

1. The following date was when the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed the Franco-Ontarian Emblem Act, designating the Franco-Ontarian flag as a emblem of the province's French-speaking community. The flag was later adopted as an official emblem for Ontario after an amendment to the Act was passed in September 2020.

References

1. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. "Ontario's Symbols". Retrieved 2016-06-21.
2. Government of Canada. "Ontario's provincial symbols". Retrieved 2017-05-16.
3. "Royal Heraldry Society of Canada – Arms of Canada's Provinces and Territories". RHSC. 3 May 2004. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
4. "Symbols of Office". Retrieved 2017-05-16.
5. "Bill 182, Franco-Ontarian Emblem Amendment Act, 2020". www.ola.org. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
6. "Critics stomp on new trillium logo". CBC News. June 26, 2006.
7. SUN, Toronto; News; Ontario; Email, Share Yours to Discover again as Ontario nixes blue licence plates Tumblr Pinterest Google Plus Reddit LinkedIn; Tumblr; Pinterest; Plus, Google; Reddit; LinkedIn (2020-05-06). "Yours to Discover again as Ontario nixes blue licence plates | Toronto Sun". Retrieved 2020-05-17.
8. "ATTRACTIONS ONTARIO". Attractions Ontario. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
9. "Lieutenant Governor's Community Volunteer Award". Government of Ontario. Retrieved 2014-01-07.