A Brief History of Prince George
Armorial Bearings and Letters Patent
to the
City of Prince George
The origins of Prince George can be traced to the North West
Company, based in Montreal. Under the leadership of Simon Fraser,
the Company established the fur post of Fort George (after King
George III) in 1807 at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako
Rivers.
Agricultural homesteading began around Fort George about 1906,
when it was realized that a new transcontinental railway would likely
pass near the fur post. In 1909, the town site of South Fort George
sprang up on the banks of the Fraser River south of the Indian
Reserve and Hudson Bay Company Post. The first of hundreds of
sawmills that were to dot the region was soon built in the community.
Paddle wheel steamboats plied the rivers and, in 1911, the town was
linked by the Blackwater Wagon Road to Quesnel and the southern
part of the Province. On March 6, 1915, Prince George was
incorporated as a City, named after the Duke of Kent, fourth son of
George V. During the next two decades the lumber industry became
the mainstay of the regional economy with dozens of sawmills along
the railway. But in spite of this development, the depression years of
the 1930s kept the size of the city relatively constant. In 1941, soon
after the outbreak of World War II, the population was still only 2500.
The war marked the beginning of a period of sustained growth that
continued for four decades. In the 1960s, the consolidation of
numerous small sawmills into several large regional mills took place,
and the construction of three pulp mills gave the community a
boomtown reputation. In the 35 years between 1961 and 1996, the
population grew from 14,000 to 75,000. With an economy based on
the Forestry, Transportation and Service Sectors, the City has
become the Regional Centre for the Northern half of British
Columbia. It is truly B.C.’s Northern Capital.
Canada is the first country in the Commonwealth outside the United
Kingdom to exercise this ancient royal prerogative in its own
domain. Coats of arms, which are grants of honour from the
Crown, are symbols of authority, ownership and identity. Through
these symbols, Canadian corporations and individuals have a
beautiful and permanent method for celebrating their history,
geography and aspirations. The Heraldic symbols as presented by
the Chief Herald of Canada are within a centuries old art form, and
draw together elements from the unique natural and historical
heritage of Prince George.
THE MOTTO: Shaping a Northern Destiny
THE CREST: The Crest rises above the shield of
arms. Here the mural crown was intended as a reference to the City’s status. It looks back to the middle ages when all important cities were surrounded
by a fortified wall. The railway wheel recalls the
arrival of The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1914
and The British Columbia Railway in 1952. The
moose head is a symbol favoured by the citizens
and long used by the City.
City of Prince George Badge
Flag of the
City of Prince George
The Canadian Heraldic Authority was established by the
Governor General on June 4, 1988 under powers granted
by Royal Letters Patent received from her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada. On Monday, July 29th,
1996 at 7:00 p.m., His Excellency, the Right Honourable
Romeo LeBlanc, P.C., C.C., C.M.M., C.D., as Head of the
Authority, and on his behalf The Chief Herald of Canada,
Robert Douglas Watt presented the City of Prince George
with its Armorial Bearings and Letters Patent.
Symbolism of the Arms
THE SHIELD: The colours blue and gold were
chosen since blue suggests the waters of the rivers
and gold the wealth and prosperity of the City and
its region. The two wavy bars are a reference to
the rivers - Fraser and Nechako - flowing together.
Above are two snowflake crystals which tie in with
the motto of a city, central to British Columbia, through which the
development of the north is taking place. In the base or point of
the shield is a “fraise”. This was intended as a pun or play on the
name of the founder, Simon Fraser. The same heraldic charge
may be seen in the coats of arms of Simon Fraser University and
in the District of Coquitlam for the same reason.
THE COMPARTMENT AND SUPPORTERS: The word compartment refers to the grassy mount upon which the supporters stand.
It rises from blue and white wavy bars, a standard method of representing water in heraldry, and together with the salmon are yet
another reference to the rivers. The compartment is strewn with
branches and flowers of local flora.
The eagle and the osprey are local
to the area. To make each of the
latter unique to Prince George they
are “differenced” in this case by
having their wings divided between
the two colours. The partition or
dividing line is described in heraldry
as “embattled” as a reference to
“Fort” George. In addition, each bird
wears a ducal coronet, a reminder
that the name of the City was
changed in 1915 to honour His
Royal Highness Prince George, Duke of Kent the fourth son of
King George V, during whose reign the City was founded.