Symbols of Alberta

Alberta is one of Canada's provinces, and has established several official emblems that reflect the province's history, its natural and diverse landscapes, and its people.[1]

Official symbols of Alberta

	Symbol	Image	Adopted	Remarks
Coat of arms	Coat of arms of Alberta	Coat of arms of Alberta	1907; augmented July 30, 1980	Granted to Alberta by Royal Warrant[1]
Motto	Fortis et liber Strong and free	Motto of Alberta	July 30, 1980	Granted with other elements of the coat of arms;[1] A reference to the fifth line of O Canada.
Provincial shield	Provincial shield of Alberta	Shield of arms of Alberta	September 2013	The shield of the coat of arms was adopted as a separate official emblem known as the provincial shield in September 2013.[1]
Provincial colours	Alberta Blue and Alberta Gold		1984	The colours can be found on the flag and on other provincial insignia.[2]
Flag	Flag of Alberta	Alberta	June 1, 1968	Although Alberta became a province in 1905 the flag design was not accepted until three years later on May 30, 1907.[3]
Tree	Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta latifolia)	Lodgepole pine	May 30, 1984 due to the efforts of the Junior Forest Warden Association of Alberta.	It was used in the early 1900s for the production of railway ties, and is as a resource for the production of poles, posts, pulp and plywood in Alberta's forestry industry.
Floral	Wild rose (Rosa acicularis)	Wild rose	1930[4]	It grows in almost all regions of the province.
Grass	Rough fescue (Festuca scabrella)	Festuca	April 30, 2003, due to the efforts of the Prairie Conservation Forum.
Stone	Petrified wood	Petrified wood	1977, due to the efforts of the Alberta Federation of Rock Clubs.	Of Cretaceous and Paleocene ages, it is often found in gravel pits in Alberta.
Gemstone	Ammolite	Ammolite	2004[5]	Made from fossilized shells and Southern Alberta is the only known location where it reaches gem quality levels.
Mammal	Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis)	Bighorn sheep	August 18, 1989	It is primarily found in the Canadian Rockies.
Fish	Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)	Bull trout	May 2, 1995	Catch and release policy regulates all bull trout fishing in Alberta.
Bird	Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)	Great horned owl	May 3, 1977 by a province-wide children's vote[4]	It is found throughout Alberta in forests and grasslands.[6]
Tartan	Green, gold, blue, pink and black		1961 due to the efforts of the Edmonton Rehabilitation Society for the Handicapped.	For forests, wheat fields, skies and lakes, wild rose and coal and petroleum respectively.
Alberta Dress Tartan	Alberta Tartan with large sections of white, a symbol of Alberta's clean and bright snowy days.		2000	It can be worn for dancing, special occasions and formal attire.
Anthem	"Alberta"		May 2001	Written by Mary Kieftenbeld.[7]
Logo	The provincial signature 2009	Alberta wordmark	2009	Introduced as part of Brand Alberta.
Logo	The provincial wordmark 1972	Alberta wordmark	1972[8]	Used by Executive Council of Alberta as well as the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on all official documents. It uses a specific typeface, and is also showcased on signs such as highway markers. Still in use.
Logo	The provincial wordmark 1960s	Alberta wordmark	1960s[9]
Mace	The Mace of Alberta		It replaced the old version on February 9, 1956.	It is the symbol of the authority of the Legislative Assembly. It is a ceremonial staff carried by the Sergeant-at-Arms into the Chamber.[10] It was designed by L.B. Blain in Edmonton, and built by English silversmith Joseph Fray in Birmingham.[11]
Francophone flag	Franco-Albertan flag Drapeau franco-albertain		June 24, 2017	Adopted by the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta (French-Canadian Association of Alberta) in March 1982 after winning a contest sponsored by Francophonie jeunesse de l'Alberta (Francophone Youth of Alberta). On June 14, 2017, Alberta's French Policy officially recognized the flag as a "Symbol of Distinction under the Emblems of Alberta Act".[12]

De facto symbols

While not officially adopted as emblems by the provincial government of Alberta, these places and things are popularly associated with (hence could be considered symbols of) the province.

	Symbol	Image	Remarks
Building	Alberta Legislative Building		It is the seat of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.[13]
Fungus	Leccinum boreale (red cap mushroom)	Red cap mushroom	The amendment introduced to the Emblems of Alberta Act, as proposed in March, 2009 was approved by Alberta MLAs.[14]

See also

• List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
• Canadian royal symbols

References

1. Government of Alberta. "Emblems of Alberta". Retrieved 2014-02-07.
2. "Emblems of Alberta". www.alberta.ca. Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
3. "Flag of Alberta | Canadian provincial flag". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
4. Legislative Assembly of Alberta (2006). "The Emblems of Alberta". Archived from the original on 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
5. "Ammolite". Alberta Geological Survey. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
6. Comox School district. "Alberta". Retrieved 2007-02-09.
7. "Couple sings Alberta praise". The Western Producer. 2004-07-15. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
8. Government of Alberta. "Symbols of Alberta" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-06-01.
9. http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/logo/alberta-government-logo-60s/
10. Legislative Assembly of Alberta. "Symbols and Ceremonies: The Mace and the Black Rod". Archived from the original on 2006-10-05. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
11. Citizen's Guide to the Alberta Legislature. Edmonton. 2010.
12. Alberta, Government of. "Header and Footer". www.culturetourism.alberta.ca. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
13. "Alberta Legislature | Explore Edmonton". Alberta Legislature | Explore Edmonton | Explore Edmonton. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
14. Audette, Trish. "MLAs support official mushroom motion". Edmonton Journal, March 10, 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2020.