Symbolism
The red heraldic cross represents the "Christian motives and principles which governed the founders of the city," according to the city's official web site. The four floral emblems represent the four main European ethnic groups that were settled in the city in the 19th century. Clockwise from top left, they are:
| Image | Description |
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A blue Fleur-de-lys, of the Royal House of Bourbon, representing the French, the original settlers of the city. (The original coat of arms on which the flag is modelled had a beaver in place of the fleur-de-lys until 1936.) |
| A red Rose of Lancaster, representing the English and the Welsh. | |
| A shamrock, representing the Irish. | |
| A thistle, representing the Scots. |
Read more about this topic: Flag Of Montreal
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)