Gloriosus et Liber

"Glorious and free"

The Manitoba Legislative Building, Winnipeg

The building was completed in 1920 of native Tyndall Stone, and accommodates the Legislative Chambers, the Lieutenant­Governor's office, offices of the Premier, Cabinet Ministers and some government departments.

The Legislative Chamber of Manitoba

Government House
Official Residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba.

Built by the Dominion Government in 1883, the stately three-storey mansion is the fourth oldest Lieutenant Governor’s residence in Canada.

Manitoba, probably comes from either the Ojibwa word "manito-bah" or the Cree "manito-wapow", meaning "strait of the spirit" in reference to The Narrows of Lake Manitoba. The roaring noise of pebbles on a beach on Manitoba Island in Lake Manitoba was the source of an Indian superstition that a "manito" or spirit was beating a drum.

• Capital: Winnipeg

• Flower: Pulsatilla ludoviciana or Prairie Crocus

• Date of entry into Confederation: July 15, 1870

• Total Area: 650, 087 km²

Pulsatilla ludoviciana, provincial floral emblem

The Coat of Arms of Manitoba, first assigned May 10, 1905 by King Edward VII, was augmented on October 23, 1992 by Governor-General Ramon Hnatyshyn. The 1905 shield is at its centre, while above are a gold helmet, red and silver mantlings, a beaver holding a prairie crocus, and finally a crown. A unicorn and a white horse support the left and right sides. Other elements that symbolize Manitoba's past include maple leaves, the wheel of a Red River cart, and Aboriginal bead and bone decorations. The shield and supporters rest on a base representing a diverse landscape, with a banner below bearing the Latin version of the provincial motto, "Glorious and Free."

The official flag of the Province of Manitoba is the Red Ensign, bearing the provincial coat of arms. This flag was given royal approval by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in October 1965, and officially proclaimed on May 12, 1966.

• Flower: Lilium philadelphicum or Western Red Lily

• Date of entry into Confederation: September 1, 1905

• Total Area: 651, 900 km²

Lilium philadelphicum, provincial floral emblem

In general terms, the shield and their symbolic meaning may be described as follows:

Crest Immediately above the shield is a helm (or helmet) facing left, representing the co-sovereign status of the Province in Confederation. The helm is decorated with mantling in red and white, the national colours of Canada. Above the helm is a wreath, also in red and white, which supports a beaver - Canada's national animal representing the North, the fur trade and our Native people. The beaver holds a western red lily, Saskatchewan's floral emblem. The beaver is surmounted by the Crown, symbol of the Province's direct link with the Sovereign through the Lieutenant Governor.

Supporters To the left of the shield of arms is a royal lion, a traditional heraldic symbol; and to the right a white-tailed deer, an animal indigenous to Saskatchewan. Both supporters wear collars of Prairie Indian beadwork, from which are suspended badges (mullets) in the form of the six-pointed star (stylized lily) of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, instituted as the Province's highest honour in 1985. The badge worn by the lion displays Canada's emblem, the maple leaf; that worn by the deer displays Saskatchewan's official flower, the western red lily.

Motto Below the shield is a compartment of western red lilies, supporting a scroll with the provincial motto MULTIS E GENTIBUS VIRES - Latin for "From Many Peoples Strength".

The motto expresses Saskatchewan's multicultural heritage, the contribution of the Indian and Native cultures, and the key role of immigration in the Province. The root meaning of the Latin "gens" (from which "gentibus" is derived) is "people" in the sense of race or origin. The word "vires" connotes vigour, energy and mental strength. The Latin rendering was suggested by words of a poem by the Roman poet Catullus.

Colours The colours in the coat of arms derive from nature and represent aspects typical of the Province: ochre or gold for wheat; green for forests and grass; red for the western red lily or prairie fires; brown for the soil.

The flag of Saskatchewan was adopted in 1969. The upper half is green, representing the northern forested areas of the province; the lower half is gold, representing the southern grain areas. The shield of arms of Saskatchewan is in the upper quarter near the staff and the provincial floral emblem, the western red lily, is in the fly half of the flag.

• Flower: Rosa acicularis or Wild Rose

• Date of entry into Confederation: September 1, 1905

• Total Area: 661, 185 km²

Rosa acicularis, provincial floral emblem

Officially granted by Royal Warrant, May 30, 1907, by King Edward VII, the shield is topped by St. George's Cross on a white background, representing King George III and symbolizing British heritage. An azure-blue (official colour of Alberta) sky highlights the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, shadowing the green foothills, the prairies and the wheat fields. Blue, along with Gold, are official colours of Alberta.

The Crest, Supporters and Motto were added to the Armorial Bearings by Royal Warrant on July 30, 1980, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Crest sits atop the Armorial Bearings of Alberta and is comprised of a Royal Crown of sovereignty resting on a beaver's back which, in turn, rests upon a silver and red wreath which sits atop a blue helmet. The beaver is a symbol of Canada, representing the role of beaver trapping and the Hudson's Bay Company in Alberta's history. The traditional mantle is white and red, Canada's official colours. The Supporters, a Gold Lion and a Pronghorn Antelope, represent power and the natural resources of Alberta respectively. They stand upon a grassy mound dotted with the official flower of Alberta, the Wild Rose. The Motto, FORTIS ET LIBER, means 'Strong and Free'.

The flag shows the Shield of the Arms of Alberta on a blue background (June 1, 1968).

• Flower: Cornus Nuttalli or Pacific Dogwood

• Date of entry into Confederation: July 20, 1871

• Total Area: 948, 597 km²

Cornus Nuttalli, provincial floral emblem

The shield of the province of British Columbia was originally granted by King Edward VII in 1906; the remaining elements of the Coat of Arms were subsequently granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on October 15, 1987.

The Union Jack on the shield symbolizes our colonial origins. Our geographic location between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains is represented by the wavy blue and silver bars and the setting sun.

The supporters, the stag and the ram, represent the former colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia.

The royal crest (the crowned lion standing on the crown), wears a collar of dogwood flowers, and sits atop the golden helmet of sovereignty. Traditional heraldic elements of a wreath and mantling are in Canada's colors.

Our provincial flower, the dogwood, appears a second time entwining the motto which translates as Splendor without diminishment.

The designs seen on the British Columbia flag are called the Arms of the Province. The wavy blue bars symbolize the Pacific Ocean, and the sun represents the glory of the province. The Union Jack, with the antique golden crown at its centre, reflects the Province's colonial origins. The 1906 Royal Warrant, which granted the Province's official Arms, allowed for them to be used "on Seals, Shields, Banners, Flags, or otherwise according to the Law of Arms." The design for the flag was prepared at once, and the display officially authorized in 1960 by Order-in-Council.