Symbols of British Columbia


is Canada's westernmost province, and has established several provincial symbols.

Official symbols

SymbolImageAdoptedRemarks
Coat of ArmsCoat of arms of British ColumbiaOctober 15, 1987Granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
MottoSplendor sine occasu
Splendour without diminishment		October 15, 1987Granted with other elements of the coat of arms by Queen Elizabeth II
Shield of ArmsShield of arms of British Columbia1906Granted by King Edward VII. The shield can be found on the BC Coat of Arms, or also on highway route markers. They are almost the same, the only difference being the number of sun rays.
FlagFlag of British Columbia1960Duplicates the design of the shield of arms of British Columbia
Legislative Coat of Arms/LogoThe Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Coat of Arms or logo
Great SealThe Great Seal of the Province of British Columbia:File:Great Seal of BC.jpg|LinkGreat Seal of British Columbia, entrusted by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia to the Attorney General of British Columbia
Emblem of the Lieutenant GovernorEmblem of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
Standard of the Lieutenant GovernorStandard of the Lieutenant Governor of British ColumbiaDuplicated the design of the emblem of the Lieutenant Governor
FlowerPacific dogwood
1956
MammalSpirit bear
April 2006Also called Kermode bear
BirdSteller's jay
December 17, 1987Voted by the people of British Columbia
FishPacific salmon
February 2013
TreeWestern redcedar
''		February 1988Western red cedar is a valuable economic resource of the province
GemstoneJade1968Jade is mined in many parts of British Columbia
TartanBlue, white, green, red and gold1974Symbolising the ocean, dogwood, forests, the maple leaf and sun on the shield and flag

Other Symbols

SymbolImageAdoptedRemarks
Provincial Government Social Media Symbol 'Rising Sun Logo2017This symbol is the current logo used by the Province of British Columbia for provincial social media accounts and still has the rising sun, but instead of saying "British Columbia" under the rising sun, it has been changed to only say "BC" and also removed the yellow underline that the previous versions had.
Provincial Government Symbol 'Rising Sun Logo2011This symbol is the current logo used by the Province of British Columbia and is identical to the logo it replaced, but without the slogan "The Best Place on Earth." It still includes the words "British Columbia" on top of a yellow underline.
Provincial Government SymbolRising Sun Logo - "The Best Place on Earth" slogan2005This version of the symbol has the rising sun on top of the words "British Columbia" on top of a yellow underline on top of the slogan "The Best Place on Earth." It was used by British Columbia from 2005 to 2011. David Greer, communications director with the Ministry of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government said "The change in leadership signalled a change in how government brands its products and materials... It's not going to be destroyed. It's just not being replaced."Symbols of British Columbia#cite note-2|
Provincial Government Symbol"Spirit of BC" 1983This was the logo of the Government of BC from 1983 to 2003. It was a stylized graphic of the flag of British Columbia. This symbol remains in use on current standard vehicle registration plates of British Columbia.
BuildingBritish Columbia Parliament Buildings1897It is the seat of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Highway Route MarkerUsed to denote the route number for provincial highways for the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation.