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Quebec's National Symbols
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The Fleurdelysé flag
The Fleurdelysé officially became Quebec's flag through an Order of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council adopted on January 21, 1948. The Legislative Assembly of Quebec gave it's approval in 1950, by adopting the Act respecting the official flag (R.S.Q. 1964, Ch. 2, Vol. 1).
In heraldic language, the flag is described thus:
"Azure a cross between 4 fleurs-de-lis argent", i.e. on a blue background, a white cross surrounded by four fleurs-de-lis of the same colour.
The Fleurdelysé flag has a lenghty lineage. Designed in 1902, based on a banner discovered in 1848, which in turn commemorated the French victory at Carillon (today: Ticonderoga, NY) in 1758, it evokes the lilies of the kings of France, which appeared around the year 1000.
Coat of Arms and Motto
The Québec coat of arms was granted by Queen Victoria in 1868 and was
modified by the Québec government in 1939. On the shield:
Three gold fleurs-de-lis on a blue
field, a reminder of the political system in New France (1534-1763);
A lion passant guardant, symbol of the British Crown and a reminder of the country's
second political system (1763-1867);
A sprig of 3 leaves of sugar maple vert veined, which evokes one of Québec's key
natural products.
Under the shield on a scroll appears the motto "Je me souviens" (I remember). It has appeared officially at the bottom of Québec's coat of arms since 1939, but was in use as far back as 1883, when the designer of the Parliament Building, Eugène-Étienne Taché, placed Quebec's coat of arms above the main door, and inscribed under it a motto of his own devising: "Je me souviens". According to Ernest Gagnon, secretary of the Department of public works at the time, and who knew Taché very well, this motto refers to the raison d'être of the Canada of Champlain and Maisonneuve as a distinct province in the Confederation («la raison d'être du Canada de Champlain et de Maisonneuve comme province distincte dans la Confédération»).
Avian Emblem
The Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandica)
The National Assembly chose the snowy owl as Quebec's official avian emblem in 1987. It nests in the tundra in northern Québec. Unlike other owls, it hunts both day and night during the Arctic summer and lives mainly on lemmings. Black stripes and spots dot the plumage of young birds, while old males may be snowy white, reminding Quebec's nordic character.
Floral Emblem
The multicolored iris was adopted as Quebec's new floral emblem in 1999. It then replaced the white lily, which had been adopted in 1963 and which, contrary to the iris, was not a native flower in Quebec.
Official Tree
The Yellow Birch (Betula Alleghianensis Britton)
The yellow birch, commonly called "merisier", is the official tree of Quebec. It is representative of Quebec forests and is noteworthy for its rusticity and the economic activity surrounding it.
For more information: www.drapeau.gouv.qc.ca
Last update: November 11, 2004