Symbolism
Crest
- The crest sits above the shield and consists of a royal helmet crowned with a red and silver wreath, on top of which sits a beaver, resting on top of which is St Edward's Crown. White and red are the official colours of Canada, and the beaver is the official animal of Canada.
Shield
- The shield represents the natural resources and beauty of the varied Alberta landscape: the Rocky Mountains and their foothills, the grass prairies, and the cultivated wheat fields. The St George's Cross is an allusion to the arms of the Hudson's Bay Company, which once controlled what is now Alberta.
Compartment
- The compartment or base is a grassy mount with wild roses, the official flower of Alberta.
Supporters
- The supporters sit on either side of the shield and consist of a golden lion on the left (representing power) and a pronghorn on the right (representing Alberta's natural resources). Neither of these is the official animal of Alberta (which is the bighorn sheep).
Motto
- Fortis et Liber, meaning "strong and free", a phrase from the English lyrics of "O Canada".
Read more about this topic: Coat Of Arms Of Alberta
Famous quotes containing the word symbolism:
“...I remembered the rose bush that had reached a thorny branch out through the ragged fence, and caught my dress, detaining me when I would have passed on. And again the symbolism of it all came over me. These memories and visions of the poor—they were the clutch of the thorns. Social workers have all felt it. It holds them to their work, because the thorns curve backward, and one cannot pull away.”
—Albion Fellows Bacon (1865–1933)