City of Toronto Symbols

Elements of the Flag

• the twin towers of City Hall on a blue background
• the red maple leaf of the Flag of Canada represents the Council Chamber at the base of the towers

Design

The City Hall symbol is incorporated in the flag design as an abstracted white linear graphic against a predominant blue (Pantone 287) background.  A red (Pantone 186) maple leaf visually links Toronto to Canada and Ontario’s heritage, flag and symbols.

The flag dimensions are based upon a 2:1 ratio proportion.

You can download and print your own City of Toronto flag or City of Toronto flag colouring sheet.

The City of Toronto encourages residents, businesses, organizations, and institutions to fly the flag of the City of Toronto (Toronto Flag). Flying the Toronto Flag does not imply approval or collaboration by the City of Toronto for a project, product, or company.

Requests to use or depict the Toronto Flag for commercial uses, other than flying the Toronto Flag, require the City’s permission.  Requests can be sent to protocol@toronto.ca.

History

On August 28, 1974, City Council appointed a Committee, consisting of Aldermen Paul B. Pickett, Q.C. and Reid Scott, Q.C. as co-chairs and Aldermen Edward Negridge, Colin Vaughan and Anne Johnston as members, who were tasked with selecting a design for a new Toronto flag. While the existing flag design depicting the City’s coat of arms was favoured by the City’s art advisory committee to become the City’s official flag, then-Mayor William Dennison disagreed, saying, “It’s not really a flag at all. It’s just another good way of displaying the city’s coat of arms.”

A competition open to residents of Metro Toronto of all ages was launched in September 1974.  A $500 Canada Savings Bond was the prize for the winning designer. More than 700 submissions were received from residents ranging in age from six to 90 years of age. The designs were varied in colour and theme – some included Toronto landmarks like the CN Tower and City Hall. Almost half of the designs incorporated the maple leaf while others focused on friendship and unity.

The flag design competition review, led by City Archivist Robert  Woadden, was committed to maintaining a level playing field. He locked the proposed designs in the City Hall basement vault until judging took place on October 28 and 29, 1974.

After judging all submissions, the Flag Design Committee submitted its selection to Council on November 6, 1974. Unanimously, Council selected the design of 21-year-old George Brown College graphic design student, Renato (Rene) De Santis. De Santis’ design included the letter ‘T’ for Toronto, the outline of City Hall on a blue background and a red maple leaf representing the Council Chamber at the base of the towers. The original flag dimensions (or ratio) was 4′ x 6′.

An official flag raising ceremony was held on Nathan Phillips Square on November 7, 1974.

1997-1999

With the amalgamation of the Cities of Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York, York and Toronto, the Borough of East York and Metropolitan Toronto on

January 1, 1998, a second design competition was launched in 1997 to find a flag for the new City of Toronto. The public was invited to submit designs for a new flag but had to follow more specific criteria, such as limiting designs to three colours and 3′ x 6′ proportions. The prize for the winning design of the new Toronto flag was a $3,000 honorarium.

Council did not select any of the 161 design submissions received, nor did they select any of the staff designs.  The designer of the original Toronto flag, Renato De Santis, suggested his design be approved as the official flag of the new City of Toronto, to fit the 3′ x 6′ format. At a Council meeting in November 1999, after months of debate, Deputy Mayor Case Ootes, who was chairing the meeting, polled the audience in the Council Chambers as to what design they liked best. The flag used by the former City of Toronto flag evoked cheers and whistles from the audience, clearly the favourite.

The modified design of the existing flag was adopted by Council as the flag of the newly amalgamated City of Toronto.

2024

On November 7, 2024, 50 years to the date of the first hoisting of the flag at City Hall, a Toronto flag flew to commemorate the occasion.  The following week, a flag raising ceremony took place prior to a Council meeting followed by recognition at the start of the the meeting to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Toronto flag.  Mayor Olivia Chow presented Renato (Rene) DeSantis, the designer of the original flag, with the flag that had flown at City Hall on the anniversary date.

Several other activities took place to recognize the 50^th anniversary of the Toronto flag, including: distributing flag materials and sending resource links to schools to promote curriculum alignment; displaying the Toronto flag decal on City fleet vehicles; distributing paper flags during City Hall educational tours; and making special flag cookies to mark the anniversary.

The Toronto Coat of Arms is an official symbol of the City of Toronto.Use of the Coat of Arms on stationery and other items is restricted to the Mayor and Members of Council and as authorized by Strategic Protocol & External Relations.

The arms were officially granted by the Chief Herald of Canada on January 11, 1999. City Council petitioned the Canadian Heraldic Authority for arms during their meeting that took place October 28 – 30, 1998 after a public consultation process.

The Arms are shown in Volume 3 of the Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada. The official announcement was made by Letters Patent on July 22, 2000 as seen in Volume 134 of the Canada Gazette.

The Coat of Arms was created after the amalgamation of the former cities of Etobicoke, York, North York, Scarborough, Toronto, the Borough of East York and the Metro level of government.

How it was created

• Members of the public were asked which symbols they would like to have included in the City of Toronto’s new Coat of Arms
• A questionnaire was distributed at the City’s Civic Centres, to Members of Council, libraries, community centres and posted on the City website during July 1998
• More than 1,100 responses were received
• The Chief Herald of Canada created a design
• Council approved the new design on October 30, 1998 and the Arms were officially granted to the City on the authority of the Governor General of Canada

Meaning of each symbol:
The Shield: This represents the two towers of Toronto City Hall with the blue sky between and above the towers which form the capital letter T.
The Eagle: The eagle, known for its strength, bravery and power, is a symbol used by the Mississauga of the New Credit First Nation and the Huron-Wendat Nation, on whose traditional territory the City of Toronto is now located.
The City Wall: The mural crown is a symbol of municipal authority. On the wall are a rose to represent the former City of York,(a York rose with green thorns), a heart for the former City of North York (for the “city with a heart”) and another rose for the former Borough of East York (also a York rose with a gold centre).
The Intertwining Collar: The collar symbolizes added strength when working together. This is where the motto “Diversity Our Strength” came from.
The Beaver: The beaver, a symbol of industry, has appeared on the coat of arms of the City of Toronto since 1834. The Green Grass: symbolizes the City’s proud legacy of many parks and recreational facilities.
The Honeycomb:This is a symbol of energy and productivity. It is hanging on the collar of the beaver in a gold hexagon shape. The Green Alder-Leaf:  This is a symbol of the former City of Etobicoke, which is an English derivation of the Ojibwa word “Wadopika” or “Wadopikang” meaning a “place where alder grow.”
The Bear: The bear symbolizes strength, determination, caring and protection of its offspring.
The Columbine Flower: This flower is a symbol of the former City of Scarborough. It is hanging on the collar of the bear in the gold hexagon shape. The placement of the green alder-leaf and the columbine flower shows the geographic placement of Etobicoke on the west and Scarborough on the east.
The Three Rivers: The wavy bands at the base represent the Humber, Don and Rouge rivers flowing into Lake Ontario.

Diversity Our Strength: This phrase refers to the multicultural dimension of the city and the seven municipal governments that now form the City of Toronto.

Civic regalia are a symbol of continuity, local identity and municipal pride. The chain of office represents the responsibility, authority and dignity of the office of Mayor.

For more than a thousand years, civic authorities have used an official seal incorporating the Coat of Arms to depict their authority and jurisdiction.

This seal was originally worn on a gold chain around the neck of the chief official. This “decoration” has evolved into the modern chain of office. Although decorative, the practice of wearing a chain of office is steeped in tradition, followed not only by municipalities, but by various other office holders such as the Crown’s representatives and parliamentary officials.

A modern chain of office is composed of symbolic elements joined together with pieces of chain from which a medallion is suspended. Chains of office may be sewn onto a velvet collar, which is not only decorative, but makes the chain more comfortable to wear.

When the City of Toronto was amalgamated in 1998, a new Chain of Office incorporated medallions from the six former cities and borough as well as Metro Toronto.  The Toronto Mayoral Chain of Office includes the Coats of Arms or the shields of the following entities which existed pre-amalgamation (clockwise from top):

1. The shield of the arms of Canada on a medallion
2. Two golden maple leaves and the Canadian Flag
3. City of York with a beaver on the left of the shield, a symbol of industry and activity
4. City of Etobicoke featuring an alder tree
5. City of North York with North York’s motto, “Progress With Economy”
6. Municipality of Metro Toronto featuring eagle wings, a symbol used by Indigenous peoples
7. City of Toronto, incorporated in 1834
8. City of Scarborough featuring the columbine flower
9. Borough of East York, featuring a bulldog, the borough’s mascot
10. The shield of Ontario’s Coat of Arms and two golden maple leaves

Suspended from the bottom front of the Chain of Office is a medallion displaying the Coat of Arms of the amalgamated City of Toronto.

On swearing in a new Mayor, the Chain of Office is symbolically placed around the Mayor’s neck and traditionally worn throughout the first meeting of the term for Toronto City Council. The Chain acknowledges the responsibilities, authority and dignity of the Chief Magistrate of Toronto.

The Mayor may wear the Chain of Office on ceremonial occasions when appearing in an official capacity representing the City such as Royal and Official visits and ceremonies, investitures, and when decorations are worn by other guests.

When not in use, the Chain of Office may be viewed in the display case located in the reception area of the Mayor’s office.

The Chains of Office of the pre-amalgamated municipalities are held by the City of Toronto.

The Oak Tree was designated Toronto’s Official Tree in Spring 2022, after City Council in December 15, 2021 authorized the selection on an official arboreal emblem for the City of Toronto, following public engagement.

Thousands of people voted in a competition to select a new official tree. The oak was chosen as Toronto’s official tree with the oak receiving 47 per cent, the maple 31 per cent, the birch tree 14 per cent, and the pine tree receiving eight per cent of the votes. A total of 11,000 votes were received.

Many orders of government both in Canada and around the world have named a type of tree as an official symbol. The City of Toronto has signalled the importance of trees to Toronto through multiple Council decisions and most recently through its commitment to TransformTO.

Trees have played a meaningful role in the historical development of Toronto from the origin of its name, to their use in commemorating events and people, including many of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service during times of war in places like Coronation Park.

Trees provide a range of environmental, ecological, social, cultural and economic benefits and play a meaningful role in our city by absorbing water, cleaning the air, providing shade, reducing erosion, flooding and wind tunnels, and decreasing heating and cooling costs.

The selection an Official Tree that is a native tree species, easy to identify and found across Toronto helps raise awareness about our diverse urban forest while reaffirming our commitments to grow, enhance and protect it.

Oak Tree

Characteristics:

• Mature oak trees can grow up to 30 metres high with deep roots and thick, fire-resistant bark, and are known for their strength and longevity.
• Very important food source and shelter species for wildlife including small mammals and birds.
• Tree crowns provide shelter, and hollow cavities in their large trunks and branches are used by wildlife for nesting and winter shelter.
• Oak trees flower early in spring as the leaves are unfurling, using the wind to transport its pollen from male to female flowers.
• Leaves often remain on the tree into winter.
• Oaks are host plants for butterflies including the Juvenal’s Duskywing, Edwards’ Hairstreak, and Banded Hairstreak species

How to identify an oak tree:

• When open grown, the branches are wide spreading and some may be horizontal.
• Leaves and branches are arranged alternately.
• The bark on young trees is smooth and grey, but as the tree ages it develops vertical flat-topped ridges separated by reddish furrows.
• Fruit is an acorn with a scaly cup that looks like a hat atop the nut.

Ideal growing conditions:

• Moisture: moist to dry
• Shade: intolerant of shade, prefers full sun
• Soil: adaptable

Uses:

• Bur oak acorns are sweet and edible, and have been used both traditionally and currently as a source of food.
• White oak acorns are sweet and edible when raw and were traditionally an important staple food for Indigenous populations.
• Wood from white oak is waterproof and has traditionally been used as a watertight woods.

Where to find oak trees in Toronto:

• Lambton Woods
• High Park
• Earl Bales Park
• Queen’s Park
• Crother’s Woods
• Sunnybrook Park
• Rouge Park

Oak species native to Toronto:

• White oak (Quercus alba)
• Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor)
• Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
• Chinquapin oak (Quercus muhlenbergii)
• Pin oak (Quercus palustris)
• Northern red oak (Quercus rubra)
• Black oak (Quercus velutina)
• Red-black hybrid oak (Quercus velutina)

More facts:

• The oaks in Toronto include some of the largest and longest-lived trees in the city.
• A remnant of original oak savannah (locally quite rate) is found in High Park.
• Since 1997, the City of Toronto has carried out regular prescribed burns in order to restore the savannah. The burns help to control invasive species, increase regeneration of black oaks and encourage success of planted native species.
• Nuts from oak trees can be stored for later use but the animals that bury nuts may forget to return for them, allowing a new tree to grow.
• Oak trees make up approximately 1.8 per cent of Toronto’s tree canopy.

The Bicoloured Agapostemon (Agapostemon virescens) was declared Toronto’s Official Bee in 2018 to raise awareness about Toronto’s diverse native bee community and promote Toronto’s Pollinator Protection Strategy.

Toronto’s Official Bee was even featured on the TVO Kids episode Bees in the Meadow.

Characteristics

This metallic green sweat bee is:

• Easy to identify – No other insect in our area has a brilliant bright green head and thorax combined with a black abdomen. The males are also bright green at the front but their abdomen is yellow and black striped.
• A common bee – The females can easily be found in early summer mornings foraging on thistles and other flowers. The males can be observed flying slowly around flowers looking for females.
• Welcoming – Females form communal nests in the ground. Their social set up is similar to a condominium with one entrance that is shared by all occupants, but each has its own separate unit. Up to two dozen females may share a single nest entrance, but each individual builds its own burrow. One bee usually guards the entrance, with only her head visible from above ground. There is strength in numbers, which is why these bees allow other Bicoloured Agapostemon individuals (complete strangers) into their nests to increase entrance surveillance. Most bees will defend their nests against others of their own species, but our official bee welcomes others to share its home, and this makes it a particularly appropriate choice for Toronto’s Official Bee.

Find Out More & Get Involved

• PollinateTO Grants
• How to Help Wild Bees & Other Native Pollinators
• Toronto’s Pollinator Protection Strategy