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Sudbury, Ontario (Canada)

Greater Sudbury

Last modified: 2015-04-25 by rob raeside
Keywords: sudbury | greater sudbury | ontario | north star | five-pointed star | conifer trees |
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[flag of Greater Sudbury] image by Rob Raeside, 14 November 2012

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Description of the flag

From Greater Sudbury web site

The official flag for the City of Greater Sudbury was unveiled at City Council this evening (13 May 2004) during a special dedication ceremony. The flag, designed by the Canadian Heraldic Authority, was donated to the City by the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE) Elizabeth Fry Chapter, Sudbury Branch.

Branch President Laurel Scott and members Anadel Hastie and Judy Smith presented the flag to Greater Sudbury Mayor David Courtemanche. "On behalf of Council and the citizens of Greater Sudbury, I would like to thank the IODE Elizabeth Fry Chapter, Sudbury Branch for their generous contribution to our City," said Mayor Courtemanche. Formed in 1932, the Elizabeth Fry Chapter, Sudbury Branch consists of women who work together for the public good of their community, founded on service, education and citizenship.

The Canadian Heraldic Authority is responsible for the creation of new coats of arms, flags and badges for Canadian citizens and corporate bodies. The flag, which complements the City Crest, is for use at ceremonial occasions and will be placed in Council Chamber.

The primary colours of the flag are green and gold, similar to the City's corporate colors. According to the Heraldic Authority, green symbolizes hope, joy and loyalty. The origin of the word "green" lies in the ancient word "ghro" which means "grow and prosper". Green also appropriately recognizes that Greater Sudbury has positioned itself on the world stage as a leader in regreening.

The colour gold is associated with generosity, reason and immortality. It is also one of the most precious metals in the history of mankind, a precious metal that is able to stand the test of time. Pure gold is little affected by exposure to the elements and does not deteriorate. Like gold, the spirit of community does not deteriorate but is able to stand the test of time. The use of "gold" is also representative of the mineral rich nature of Greater Sudbury.

The flag features the shield elements of the City Crest - a traditional five point golden star and a series of stylized coniferous trees. The north star is a traditional guide for navigation. The north star is also symbolic of Greater Sudbury as the leading City of northeastern Ontario, the hub of the north. According to the Heraldic Authority, a five point star can also represent the characteristics of a good citizen, which are fortitude, loyalty, righteousness, prudence, and broad-mindedness.

The coniferous trees represent the original old growth white pine forests that once covered this area of Northern Ontario. The lumber industry is one of the original industries of Greater Sudbury. The trees also represent the regreening efforts of the past quarter century, the effect of which will be most evident in this century. The white pine serve to honour those who participated in the regreening of Greater Sudbury.

Phil Nelson, 28 November 2004

The City of Greater Sudbury (French, Grand Sudbury), commonly known as Sudbury (160,274 inhabitants in 2009; 32,006 ha, therefore the largest city in Ontario by land area), was formed on 1 January 2001 as the merger of the former Regional Municipality of Sudbury (including the Towns of Sudbury, Capreol, Nickel Centre, Onaping Falls and Rayside-Balfour, and the City of Valley East) and of the previously unincorporated townships of Dill, Cleland, Fraleck, Parkin, Aylmer, Mackelcan, Rathbun and Scadding.

The symbols of Greater Sudbury were granted by Letters Patent issued on 15 December 2003 and registered in the Public Registry of Flags, Arms and Badges, Vol. IV, p. 336, as announced on 12 March 2005 in the Canada Gazette, Vol. 139, p. 687.

Blazon
Arms: Per fess sapiné vert and or, in dexter chief a mullet or;
Crest: A mural crown Vert set with pine cones or;
Supporters: Two moose or, that to the dexter gorged with a coronet erablé, that to the sinister gorged with a coronet fleurdelisé vert, both standing on a rocky mount set with blueberry plants proper;
Motto: Aedificemus;
Flag: A banner of the arms;

Symbolism
Arms
The green colour is symbolic of growth and the environment, whereas the gold can represent the mineral riches of the region and spirit of community. The star is indicative of the north star and the fact that Sudbury is the main urban centre in northeastern Ontario. It can also represent dynamism, technology and the future. The division line indicates the original old growth forests of the region and the fact that much of it has been re-forested in recent years.
Crest
The mural crown is a traditional symbol of municipal authority, indicating the City's responsibility to protect its citizens. The pine cones make another reference to the natural heritage of the area, and they also allude to Sudbury's original name, Sainte-Anne-des-Pins.
Supporters
The moose are animals symbolic of Northern Ontario. The rocky compartment, itself indicative of the strong and enduring foundations on which the community has been built, indicates the importance of mining in the area, and the blueberries are a distinctive feature of local vegetation. The coronets indicate the diverse Canadian and francophone heritage of the City.
Motto
A Latin word meaning "Let us build". It was inspired by a passage in Nehemiah 2 :18, emphasizing that building a community is the collective work of all citizens.

Original concept of Bruce Patterson, Saguenay Herald, assisted by the Heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority; Painter: Linda Nicholson; Calligrapher: Nancy Ellis.
http://archive.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=340

In official events, Greater Sudbury also uses a green flag with the city's logo in white and seven yellow four- pointed stars (seemingly not shown on the logo), as seen on photos published in "Sudbury Northern Life".
http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2012/07/19-matichuk-horwath-sudbury.aspx - 18 July 2012
http://www.northernlife.ca/uploadedImages/news/localNews/2012/01(7)/180712_matichuk_horwath.jpg
http://www.northernlife.ca/news/sports/2010/03/chill-110310.aspx - 11 May 2010
http://www.northernlife.ca/uploadedImages/news/sports/2010/03/chill400.JPG

Ivan Sache, 13 August 2012


Logo flag

[flag of Greater Sudbury] image by Rob Raeside, 14 November 2012

Design of the flag now used as the city flag, using the image from http://www.northernlife.ca/news/sports/2010/03/chill-110310.aspx.


Police Service flag

[flag of Greater Sudbury] image by Randy Youngm 17 March 2015

This flag is difficult to make out. It appears to be the service badge in silver on a white field, with red, gray and blue vertical stripes at the hoist and at the fly: http://www.carolinephotography.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Awars-Pic.jpg
http://www.specialolympicsontario.com/img/Article%20Contents/Branch.jpg
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zMjs7Raa4s8/0.jpg
http://www.northernlife.ca/uploadedImages/news/policeandCourt/2010/06/DSC_2220.JPG

Badge: http://www.kicx917.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Policecrest1-251x300.gif
Dave Fowler, 16 March 2015