Symbols of Quebec
The
Symbols
The
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Quebec dates back to 1868, shortly after the creation of Quebec as a province of Canada. The arms were granted by a royal warrant issued by Queen Victoria.
The arms were adopted in their current form by the government of Quebec in 1939 to reflect Quebec's political history: the French regime is symbolised by the gold fleur-de-lis on a blue background; the British regime is symbolised by a gold lion on a red background; the pre-Confederation period is symbolised by three green maple leaves on a gold background.[1]
Flag
The government of Quebec adopted the Fleurdelisé flag in 1948. The cross represents the faith of the province's founders, while the fleur-de-lys and blue colour recall Quebec's French origins.[1]
When
Motto
The motto, Je me souviens ("I remember"), was devised by the architect of Quebec's Parliament Building, Eugène-Étienne Taché, in 1883.[1] He carved it into the Parliament building in various locations. Je me souviens is an official part of the coat of arms and has been the official licence plate motto since 1978, replacing the previous one: La belle province ("the beautiful province").
Other symbols
Three new official symbols were adopted in the late 1900s:
- Blue flag iris, the floral emblem of Quebec since 1999. It was chosen because it blooms around the time of Quebec's Fête nationale.[1][2]
- The snowy owl, the avian emblem of Quebec since 1987. It was selected by the Québécois government to symbolize Quebec's winters and northern climate.[1][3]
- The yellow birch, the tree emblem of Quebec since 1993. It was picked to emphasize the importance Québécois give to the forests. The tree is admired for its diverse uses, its commercial value and its autumn colours.[1]
List
Here is a non-exhaustive list of Quebec's symbols:
| Symbol | Image | Adopted | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coat of arms | Coat of arms of Quebec |  |
December 9, 1939 | Originally Granted by a Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria on May 26, 1868; the coat of arms was revised by the Quebec government in 1939 |
| Motto | Je me souviens
I remember |
December 9, 1939 | Granted with other elements of the coat of arms | |
| Shield of Arms | Shield of arms of Quebec | .svg) |
1868 | The shield was granted by the Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria |
| Flag | Flag of Quebec |  |
January 21, 1948 | |
| Provincial Symbol | Fleur-de-lis |  |
July 24, 1534 | |
Floral
|
Blue Flag Iris versicolor |
 |
1999 | |
| Bird | Snowy owl Bubo scandiacus |
 |
1987 | |
| Tree | Yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis Britton |
 |
1993 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes: Québec's Symbols.
- ^ "Sais-tu que l'emblème floral du Québec est l'iris versicolore?" (consulted March 2021)
- ^ "Sais-tu que l'oiseau emblème du Québec est le harfang des neiges?" (consulted March 2021)