City of Hamilton
City of Hamilton Coat of Arms
In January 2001, City Council approved a new Coat of Arms for the new municipality created through the amalgamation of the former City of Hamilton, City of Stoney Creek, Towns of Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough and the Township of Glanbrook.
The Coat of Arms was designed with the assistance of the Heraldry Department of the Governor General’s Office in Ottawa.
The Coat of Arms, as a heraldic symbol of the new municipality, is used in such a way that the integrity and dignity of the symbols that comprise the Coat of Arms are protected. Symbols comprising the City’s Coat of Arms are as follows:
The Cinquefoil is a heraldic flower of five petals that is the badge of the Clan Hamilton. It also represents the name of the city.
The Chain has two meanings:
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A circle of chain is the standard heraldic symbol for unity
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The Chain symbolizes steel, a
major element in the City’s identity
The six larger links in the chain symbolize the six communities joined in unity.
The Buck or Staff symbolizes the unspoiled wilderness that currently exists in the Dundas Valley and other parts of the city.
The Tiger: Hamilton was famous as ‘Tiger Town’ prior to the naming of the city’s present CFL football team, The Hamilton Tiger Cats, and still proudly bears this nickname.
The Ground or Compartment, on which the animals stand, represents two defining geographical features of the region:
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The escarpment
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Hamilton Bay
The Coronet above the shield, which contains two wheat sheaves, symbolizes rural and urban characteristics of Hamilton. Coronets surrounding the necks of the Tiger and the Buck represent Loyalists who settled in the communities that make up Hamilton.
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City of Hamilton Flag
Bishop Ralph Spence designed the flag. Bishop Spence is Canada’s leading specialist in the Science of Flags or Vexillology. He has designed numerous flags for municipalities and governments.
The dimensions of the flag are two to one. These are the same dimensions as the National Flag of Canada. The flag is divided with a Canadian Pale in royal blue with borders of golden yellow. The flag uses two major elements taken directly from the City of Hamilton’s Grant of Arms. The golden yellow Cinquefoil is a heraldic flower of five petals that is the badge of the Clan Hamilton and represents the name of the city. The links circling the Cinquefoil, also golden yellow in colour, have two meanings - first, a circle of links is the standard heraldic symbol for unity, and second, they symbolize steel. The six larger links are symbolic of the six communities joined in unity. This flag when flown with the Canadian Flag - either stationary on a pole or flown from flagpoles outside at the same height - would be complimentary and distinctive in Canada.
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City of Hamilton Logo
Our Visual Identity
The Symbol
Solid and traditional, this logo exemplifies the strength of character that can be found in a dependable, upright and stable community.
On an immediate level, the "bridge" symbolizes two widely recognized city landmarks - the High Level Bridge on York Boulevard and the Skyway Bridge. Their significance represents both the past as well as the present and the values and aspirations associated with these periods in our history.
The High Level Bridge reminds us of our strong heritage - the proud and determined people with heart and the industrial strength that built the foundation for future prosperity. The Skyway Bridge represents both present day and future opportunities for the city with the emphasis placed on innovation in established industries like steel and growth in new sectors such as healthcare and education.
The pillars and spans of the bridge take the form of a stylized letter "H". The six amalgamated communities are represented by the six supporting pillars of the bridge, making it a very appropriate symbol for the "new" City of Hamilton.
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