British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province, and has established several provincial symbols. [1]
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British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province, and has established several provincial symbols. [1]
| Symbol | Image | Adopted | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coat of arms | Coat of arms of British Columbia |  | October 15, 1987 | Granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II [1] |
| Motto | Splendor sine occasu Splendour without diminishment |  | October 15, 1987 | Granted with other elements of the coat of arms by Queen Elizabeth II |
| Shield of arms | Shield of arms of British Columbia |  | 1906 | Granted by King Edward VII. The shield can be found on the BC coat of arms, on highway route markers, and on the insignia of the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service. They are almost the same, the only difference being the number of sun rays. |
| Flag | Flag of British Columbia |  | 1960 [1] | Duplicates the design of the shield of arms of British Columbia |
| Legislative coat of arms/logo | The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia coat of arms or logo | |||
| Great Seal | The Great Seal of the Province of British Columbia | Link | Great Seal of British Columbia, entrusted by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia to the Attorney General of British Columbia | |
| Emblem of the lieutenant governor | Emblem of the lieutenant governor of British Columbia |  | ||
| Standard of the lieutenant governor | Standard of the lieutenant governor of British Columbia |  | Duplicated the design of the emblem of the lieutenant governor | |
| Flower | Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttalli) |  | 1956 [1] | |
| Mammal | Spirit bear (Ursus americanus kermodei) |  | April 2006 | Also called Kermode bear |
| Bird | Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) |  | December 17, 1987 | Voted by the people of British Columbia [1] |
| Fish | Pacific salmon |  | February 2013 | |
| Tree | Western redcedar (Thuja plicata donn) |  | February 1988 [1] | Western red cedar is a valuable economic resource of the province |
| Gemstone | Jade |  | 1968 | Jade is mined in many parts of British Columbia |
| Tartan | Blue, white, green, red and gold | 1974 | Symbolising the ocean, dogwood, forests, the maple leaf and sun on the shield and flag | |
| Fossil | Elasmosaur | 2023 | Adopted into the Provincial Symbols and Honours Act. Symbolizing British Columbia's "diverse natural history" [2] |
| Symbol | Image | Adopted | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provincial Government Social Media Symbol (current) | Rising Sun Logo | 2017 | This symbol is the current logo used by the Province of British Columbia for provincial social media accounts and still has the rising sun, but instead of saying "British Columbia" under the rising sun, it has been changed to only say "BC" and also removed the yellow underline that the previous versions had. | |
| Provincial Government Symbol (current) | Rising Sun Logo |  | 2011 | This symbol is the current logo used by the Province of British Columbia and is identical to the logo it replaced, but without the slogan "The Best Place on Earth." It still includes the words "British Columbia" on top of a yellow underline. |
| Provincial Government Symbol | Rising Sun Logo - "The Best Place on Earth" slogan | 2005 | This version of the symbol has the rising sun on top of the words "British Columbia" on top of a yellow underline on top of the slogan "The Best Place on Earth." It was used by British Columbia from 2005 to 2011. David Greer, communications director with the Ministry of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government said "The change in leadership signalled a change in how government brands its products and materials... It's not going to be destroyed. It's just not being replaced."[1] | |
| Provincial Government Symbol | "Spirit of BC" (Flag Graphic) |  | 1983 | This was the logo of the Government of BC from 1983 to 2003. It was a stylized graphic of the flag of British Columbia. This symbol remains in some limited use, such as on current standard vehicle registration plates of British Columbia, and on the vehicles of the British Columbia Sheriff Service. |
| Building | British Columbia Parliament Buildings |  | 1897 | It is the seat of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |
| Highway Route Marker |  | Used to denote the route number for provincial highways for the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation. |
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts and grassy plains. British Columbia borders the province of Alberta to the east; the territories of Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north; the U.S. states of Washington, Idaho and Montana to the south, and Alaska to the northwest. With an estimated population of over 5.6 million as of 2024, it is Canada's third-most populous province. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, while the province's largest city is Vancouver. Vancouver and its suburbs together make up the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada, with the 2021 census recording 2.6 million people in Metro Vancouver. British Columbia is Canada's third-largest province in terms of total area, after Quebec and Ontario.
The coat of arms of British Columbia is the heraldic symbol representing the Canadian province of British Columbia. The arms contains symbols reflecting British Columbia's British heritage along with local symbols. At the upper part of the shield is the Union Jack, representing the United Kingdom. The lower portion of the shield features a golden sun setting into the ocean, representing the province's location on the Pacific.
The flag of British Columbia is based upon the shield of the provincial arms of British Columbia. At the top of the flag is a rendition of the Royal Union Flag, defaced in the centre by a crown, and with a setting sun, a view from parliament across the water at the province capitol, representing the location of the province of British Columbia at the western end of Canada.
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour current or former British Columbia residents for conspicuous achievements in any field, being thus described as the highest honour amongst all others conferred by the British Columbia Crown.
The Eye of Providence or All-Seeing Eye is a symbol depicting an eye, often enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by a ray of light or a halo, intended to represent Providence, as the eye watches over the workers of mankind. A well-known example of the Eye of Providence appears on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, which is depicted on the United States one-dollar bill.
The lieutenant governor of British Columbia is the representative of the monarch in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The office of lieutenant governor is an office of the Crown and serves as a representative of the monarchy in the province, rather than the governor general of Canada. The office was created in 1871 when the Colony of British Columbia joined Confederation. Since then the lieutenant governor has been the representative of the monarchy in British Columbia. Previously, between 1858 and 1863 under colonial administration the title of lieutenant governor of British Columbia was given to Richard Clement Moody as commander of the Royal Engineers, Columbia Detachment. This position coexisted with the office of governor of British Columbia served by James Douglas during that time.
Columbia, also known as Lady Columbia, Miss Columbia is a female national personification of the United States. It was also a historical name applied to the Americas and to the New World. The association has given rise to the names of many American places, objects, institutions and companies, including the District of Columbia; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbia University; "Hail, Columbia"; Columbia Rediviva; and the Columbia River. Images of the Statue of Liberty largely displaced personified Columbia as the female symbol of the United States by around 1920, although Lady Liberty was seen as an aspect of Columbia. It is the central element of the logo of Hollywood film studio Columbia Pictures.
The British Columbia Court of Appeal (BCCA) is the highest appellate court in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was established in 1910 following the 1907 Court of Appeal Act.
The Provincial Court of British Columbia is a trial level court in British Columbia that hears cases in criminal, civil and family matters.
By the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in British Columbia as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within British Columbia's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of British Columbia, His Majesty in Right of British Columbia, or the King in Right of British Columbia. The Constitution Act, 1867, however, leaves many royal duties in British Columbia specifically assigned to the sovereign's viceroy, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, whose direct participation in governance is limited by the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy.
British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines or BCPA, was an airline registered in New South Wales, Australia in June 1946 with headquarters in Sydney. It was formed by the governments of Australia (50%), New Zealand (30%) and the United Kingdom (20%) to pursue trans-Pacific flights. BCPA was later taken over by Qantas.
BCPA Flight 304/44 was a scheduled flight operated by British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines from Sydney, Australia, to Vancouver, Canada, with scheduled stops at Fiji, Canton Island, Honolulu and San Francisco. On 29 October 1953, the flight was conducted by a Douglas DC-6 named Resolution and registered in Australia as VH-BPE. The propliner crashed during its initial approach towards San Francisco International Airport, killing all 19 people on board, including the American pianist William Kapell.
Skydive Hibaldstow is a parachuting and skydiving drop zone centre in Hibaldstow, North Lincolnshire, England. Skydive Hibaldstow is affiliated with the skydiving company British Skydiving.
The Scottish tenor drum is a musical instrument used within Scottish pipe bands. It is a double-headed membranophone that is held vertically with one head up, one head down, and played with soft mallets on the top head only. Common sizes of drums are 15, 16, 18, or 20 inch in diameter, with 12, 14, or 16 inch depth. The playing style of the Scottish tenor drum has varied throughout the years, but there is typically a variation of the combination of swings and rhythmic accompaniment to the Scottish snare drum and the Great Highland Bagpipes. It is similar to the more common marching band style tenor drum.
Kosher Check is a hechsher of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of British Columbia. Its symbol is used on labels of food which are certified Kosher by the Council. Kosher Check is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Park O. Davidson was a Canadian psychologist.
Columbia University represents itself using several symbols, including a university seal and a coat of arms. The seal was first adopted in 1755, shortly after the university's founding, and with few variations continues to be used today. The coat of arms was adopted by the university in 1949. Additionally, the individual schools of Columbia possess their own logos, most of which contain some variant of the King's Crown symbol. Exceptions to this rule include the College of Physicians and Surgeons, which in addition to a logo adopted a variant of the university seal, and the School of General Studies, which inaugurated its own coat of arms in 1950 based on the Columbia arms.
