Local Heraldry: Symbols, Flags, Emblems

The Canadian Provincial Flag of New Brunswick

The Flag was assigned by the Queen Victoria in 1868 at the same time as she has authorized the Provincial Shield. The flag design was proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor on February 24, 1965.

The flag is four by length and two and one-half by width. The red portion with the lion occupies one-third of the surface. The golden lion is representative of new Brunswick's ties to Britain and to the Duchy of Brunswick in Germany, which in 1784, was the domain of the British King George III.

The yellow field covers two thirds of the flag. It depicts a galley ship representing shipbuilding, the then pride of the Province. It sails on wavy blue and white lines, and display a white sail and three red flags.

Former Flag of New Brunswick

As you can see the Union Jack is more pronounced on this flag. This symbolizes then close relationships with the British Crown and the level of British dominance in the 19th century Canada.

The Acadian Flag

The Acadian flag was established at the Second Acadian Convention in 1884 at Miscouche, PEI. The main purpose of the Convention was to choose the national Acadian symbols: the flag, the symbol and the hymn.

Father Marcel-Francois Richard designed the flag and brought it with him to the event. He chose the blue-white-red French flag with a gold star in the upper left corner. Like the flag of the Revolutionary France, it is blue, white, and red. The gold star at the top left of the flag represents the Stella Maris, the Star of the Sea. Father Richard placed it there to gain the guidance and protection of the Virgin Mary, patron saint of the Acadian People.

At the moment the flag is preserved at at Musée Acadien, Université de Moncton, in Moncton.

*The section on local heraldry is written for Moncton.Net by a distinguished scholar, specialist in heraldry, Alex Jacobs.