Flags and symbols

The City of Calgary’s official crest was chosen through a contest sponsored by the Calgary Herald newspaper and officially adopted by City Council in March 1902.

The upper third of the crest displays a setting sun above a mural crown (a symbol of loyalty).

The top of the shield is another sun, this one setting behind the majestic Rocky Mountains.

The lower two-thirds of the shield ;bears the cross of St. George (the patron saint of England) and the Canadian maple leaf, which is inset by a bull buffalo (the former master of our region).

The shield is supported on either side by a horse and a steer, representing the city’s roots in agriculture.

Below the shield are the leek of Wales, the shamrock of Ireland, the rose of England and the thistle of Scotland. All reference the ancestry of the majority of early settlers to the region.

The crest includes our motto, Onward, and the dates of Calgary’s incorporation as a town (1884) and as a city (1894).

Under the scroll the Union Jack, signifying our relationship with the British Commonwealth, and the Red Ensign, Canada’s flag until 1965.

A simplified version of the crest is part of The City of Calgary corporate logo.

Designed by Donna Buie of Cochrane, Alberta, the St. Andrew-Caledonian Society of Calgary​ presented Calgary with its own tartan which was approved by City Council on July 14, 2003.

The colours:

Red – a Calgary colour from the North West Mounted Police.

Blue – for Calgary’s rivers, the Bow and Elbow.

Yellow – for the prairie and wheat fields that are found to the east.

Grey – for the Rocky Mountains to the west.

Black – for the oil and gas industry which has made Calgary prosper.

White – represents Calgary’s pride in, and the symbolism of, the White Hat.

The tartan is an official and registered symbol of Calgary that any person can wear any way they choose, whenever they like and wherever they like.

Calgary’s floral emblem is the Anemone Pulsatilla Rubra, more commonly known as the Red Pasque Flower. It was selected as the result of a city-wide survey conducted by the Calgary Horticultural Society and was officially adopted by City Council on July 2, 1991.

A fitting symbol for Calgary, the Red Pasque Flower closely resembles the native Prairie Crocus that grows wild throughout the Calgary area. But unlike the Prairie Crocus, the Red Pasque Flower has been hybridized to our region.

The Red Pasque Flower is a perennial that begins to bloom in early spring, typically around mid-April. This colourful plant requires full-sun to part-shade and thrives best in well-drained soil. Its low profile makes it ideal for growing in rock gardens and perennial borders.​

In 2022, The City of Calgary and Bird Friendly Calgary held a poll for citizens to vote on Calgary’s bird. With over 36,000 votes cast, 44% selected the black-capped chickadee as the winner. Council adopted the black-capped chickadee as Calgary’s bird on June 7, 2022.

Chickadees are excellent at insect and spider control, particularly during nesting.

They are 12 to 15 centimetres in length and are found coast to coast across Canada.

Chickadees have a variety of sounds including ones that sound like they might be saying “cheeseburger”, “I did-it”, “hey baby” and the sound for which they are named, “chicka-dee-dee-dee-dee”.

Commissioned by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, with assistance from Petro-Canada, to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Calgary’s incorporation, it was created by Henry Birks & Sons Ltd. and presented to Mayor Ralph Klein on January 12, 1985.

The Chain is entirely hand engraved on sterling silver. Mounted on a supporting collar of dark blue gros-grain ribbon and made up of ten medallions which support the City crest pendant at the front.

Four paired medallions refer to:

Pipes – a traditional plains design representing the indigenous tribes who first inhabited the area. The pipes also represent the idea of meeting with the Mayor and Council.

Pumper and Derrick – representing the oil and gas which form the foundation of Calgary’s economy.

Wheat Stalks and Brands – representing the grain and ranching which were cornerstones of Calgary’s initial prosperity. The brands are those of the “Big Four” and the Calgary Stampede.

Buffalo Head – representing the prairie and foothills upon which Calgary grew. The Buffalo Head is also the central element in the Coat of Arms of the Mounted Police who founded Fort Calgary (now called The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland) in 1875.

The individual medallions are:

The Provincial Coat of Arms - acknowledging the Province of Alberta as grantor of authority to the Mayor and to the Corporation.

The Olympic Rings - signifying Calgary’s status as an Olympic City and host to the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.

The medallions are supported and spaced by connectors representing Canada’s maple leaf and the Alberta wild rose, floral emblem of the province.

The Chain marks the wearer as the first citizen and a person of some importance. It does not function as a legislative “mace” and, in fact, has no legislative status whatsoever.

The Chain should only be worn by the current Mayor for formal, ceremonial occasions (greeting dignitaries, opening or dedicating facilities and swearing-in ceremonies), all formal portraits, individually or in a group, and any formal, non-political occasion.