Coat of arms of British Columbia

The coat of arms of British Columbia was the Canadian province of British Columbia awarded on March 31, 1906 by King Edward VII and replaced an unofficial coat of arms from 1895.

Symbolism

In the main shield of Coat of Arms is as a symbol of the close ties with the UK mapped the Union Flag, which additionally comprises a crown in the middle. The middle and lower thirds consist of three blue and four white waves outshines the sun rising from the. Sun and waves mark the position of the province between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains.

The golden helmet over the shield is a symbol of the sovereignty of British Columbia within the Canadian Confederation. The helmet cover and the Helmwulst are both in red and white, the national colors of Canada. Crest is a substance on the Edwards crown, crowned golden lion around his neck a dogwood blossom bears ( official flower of the province )

Supporters are right the upright Wapiti Vancouver Iceland and opposite him the upright, gold -reinforced, silver bighorn sheep from the mainland portion of the province. They represent the union of the two colonies in 1866. The pedestal consists of further dogwood blossoms. The motto on silver band with black capital letters is Splendor sine occasu ( "Splendour without limitation " ) and describes the natural beauty of British Columbia.

History

First heraldic symbol was the Great Seal of the province consisting of the initials "BC" and between a subject on the imperial crown lion. This seal was in use when British Columbia joined the confederation in 1871.

Canon Arthur Beanlands from Victoria designed the first coat of arms that slightly differed from today: On the shield the sun was on the Union Flag. The provincial government approved the coat of arms on July 19 in 1895 and implemented it as a new Great Seal.

While determining the appearance of the seal is the responsibility of the provinces, coat of arms can be imparted to the present day only by the sovereign as a sign of honor. The provincial government attempted in 1897 to be approved the coat of arms by the College of Arms, but was unsuccessful for various reasons. The first violation was guiding the lion as crest, which was reserved exclusively for the monarch himself and could not be granted as a sign of absolute loyalty. The Herald also took exception to the placement of the union flag under the sun, as it did not comply with " the sun rises in the Empire never ". The use of plate holders, a great honor was considered presumptuous, since no other province had received the privilege.

After lengthy negotiations, initially only the motto and coat of arms were approved, with a reversed position of the sun and the Union Flag. The remaining elements were presented on October 15, 1987 by Queen Elizabeth II. The lion as a crest was approved because he had been made ​​distinguishable with the addition of the dogwood blossom.