Flag of Toronto
| |
Use |
|
---|---|
Proportion | 1:2 |
Adopted | November 1999 |
Designed by | Renato De Santis |
The flag of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was designed by Renato De Santis, a 21-year-old George Brown College student.[1] It won in a 1974 competition held by the Old City of Toronto Flag Design Committee.[2] The former flag consisted of the city crest on a white and blue background and was considered to be overly simplistic by then mayor William Dennison.[2][1]
When several former cities in the Toronto area amalgamated, the new Toronto City Council launched another competition for new designs from the public in 1997, but the council did not approve any of the public submissions.[2] During the review process, De Santis suggested minor modifications to the original flag, which beat out a design recommended by then councillor Brad Duguid in a November 1999 vote to become the current flag.[2]
The flag displays the twin towers of the Toronto City Hall on a blue background, with the red maple leaf of the flag of Canada at its base, representing the Council Chamber at the base of the towers.[2] The shape of the space above and between the towers suggests the letter 'T', the city's initial.
A variation of this flag is used by Toronto Fire Services fireboat William Lyon Mackenzie. The marine ensign consists of the main city flag in the upper canton with a life preserver on two tone blue background.
Flag of Metropolitan Toronto
From 1954 to 1998, (pre-amalgamation), the old city of Toronto and surrounding areas formed a level of municipal government known as Metropolitan Toronto. During this time it had its own flag, which consisted of the region's six-ringed logo on the left side, centred vertically on a blue and green background.
See also
References
- 1 2 Bateman, Chris (3 March 2012). "What the Toronto flag might have looked like". blogTO. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "History of City Symbols". City of Toronto. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
External links
- City of Toronto flag at Toronto.ca official website
- Toronto, Ontario at Flags of the World
- Archive photograph of Renato De Santis posing with the new flag, 1974 Graham Bezant
- Archive photograph of City Hall guides Sally Lester and Jacqueline Kappen showing Toronto's blue-and-white city flag featuring the city crest, 1967 Jeff Goode