Armorial Bearings and Letters Patent A Brief History of Prince George to the City of Prince George The origins of Prince George can be traced to the North West Company, based in Montreal. Under the leadership of Simon Fraser, the Company established the fur post of Fort George (after King George III) in 1807 at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers.

Agricultural homesteading began around Fort George about 1906, when it was realized that a new transcontinental railway would likely pass near the fur post. In 1909, the town site of South Fort George sprang up on the banks of the Fraser River south of the Indian Reserve and Hudson Bay Company Post. The first of hundreds of sawmills that were to dot the region was soon built in the community. Paddle wheel steamboats plied the rivers and, in 1911, the town was linked by the Blackwater Wagon Road to Quesnel and the southern part of the Province. On March 6, 1915, Prince George was incorporated as a City, named after the Duke of Kent, fourth son of George V. During the next two decades the lumber industry became the mainstay of the regional economy with dozens of sawmills along the railway. But in spite of this development, the depression years of the 1930s kept the size of the city relatively constant. In 1941, soon after the outbreak of World War II, the population was still only 2500.

The war marked the beginning of a period of sustained growth that continued for four decades. In the 1960s, the consolidation of numerous small sawmills into several large regional mills took place, Canada is the first country in the Commonwealth outside the United and the construction of three pulp mills gave the community a Kingdom to exercise this ancient royal prerogative in its own boomtown reputation. In the 35 years between 1961 and 1996, the domain. Coats of arms, which are grants of honour from the population grew from 14,000 to 75,000. With an economy based on , are symbols of authority, ownership and identity. Through the Forestry, Transportation and Service Sectors, the City has become the Regional Centre for the Northern half of British these symbols, Canadian corporations and individuals have a Columbia. It is truly B.C.’s Northern Capital. beautiful and permanent method for celebrating their history, geography and aspirations. The Heraldic symbols as presented by the of Canada are within a centuries old art form, and draw together elements from the unique natural and historical heritage of Prince George. THE : Shaping a Northern Destiny Symbolism of the Arms

THE : The Crest rises above the shield of THE SHIELD: The colours blue and gold were arms. Here the mural crown was intended as a ref- chosen since blue suggests the waters of the rivers erence to the City’s status. It looks back to the mid- and gold the wealth and prosperity of the City and dle ages when all important cities were surrounded its region. The two wavy bars are a reference to by a fortified wall. The railway wheel recalls the the rivers - Fraser and Nechako - flowing together. arrival of The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1914 Above are two snowflake crystals which tie in with and The British Columbia Railway in 1952. The the motto of a city, central to British Columbia, through which the moose head is a symbol favoured by the citizens development of the north is taking place. In the base point of and long used by the City. the shield is a “fraise”. This was intended as a pun or play on the name of the founder, Simon Fraser. The same heraldic may be seen in the coats of arms of Simon Fraser University and City of Prince George Badge in the District of Coquitlam for the same reason.

THE COMPARTMENT AND : The word compart- ment refers to the grassy mount upon which the supporters stand. It rises from blue and white wavy bars, a standard method of rep- resenting water in heraldry, and together with the salmon are yet another reference to the rivers. The compartment is strewn with Flag of the branches and flowers of local flora. City of Prince George The and the osprey are local to the area. To make each of the latter unique to Prince George they are “differenced” in this case by having their wings divided between the two colours. The partition or The Canadian was established by the dividing is described in heraldry Governor General on June 4, 1988 under powers granted as “embattled” as a reference to by Royal Letters Patent received from her Majesty Queen “Fort” George. In addition, each bird Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada. On Monday, July 29th, wears a ducal , a reminder that the name of the City was 1996 at 7:00 p.m., His Excellency, the Right Honourable changed in 1915 to honour His Romeo LeBlanc, P.C., C.C., C.M.M., C.D., as Head of the Royal Highness Prince George, Duke of Kent the fourth son of Authority, and on his behalf The Chief Herald of Canada, King George V, during whose reign the City was founded. Robert Douglas Watt presented the City of Prince George with its Armorial Bearings and Letters Patent.