![[Abbotsford, British Columbia]](../images/c/ca-bc-ab-l.gif)
3:5 (1:2
usage) image by
Eugene IpavecSource: Canadian City Flags, Raven 18
Last modified: 2020-06-13 by rob raeside
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3:5 (1:2
usage) image by
Eugene Ipavec
Source: Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18
See also:
The City of Abbotsford was formed in 1995 from the merger of the District of Abbotsford and the District of Matsqui (pron. MATTS-kwee). The District of Abbotsford, incorporated 1972, itself was an amalgamation of the Village of Abbotsford (inc. 1924) and the District of Sumas (inc. 1913). This is one of the few examples of amalgamation in BC, unlike the trend toward Mega-Cities in Central Canada.
Abbotsford sits on the south shore of the Fraser River, with Mission to the
North (across the Fraser), Langley Township to the West, Chilliwack to the East,
and Sumas, Washington, USA to the South. There is a border crossing to Sumas
WA, and an international airport. Abbotsford International Airport (YXX),
which now is served by scheduled airlines carrying passengers across Canada,
is still the home to one of the largest air shows in North America, held each
August. Abbotsford is in the Fraser Valley Regional District, but participates
with the Greater Vancouver Regional District.
Dean McGee, 9 August 2005
Text and image(s) from Canadian City Flags, Raven 18 (2011), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) by permission of Eugene Ipavec.
The flag of the City of Abbotsford has a green field with a yellow
disc in the centre, approximately three-fifths the height of the flag. Eight yellow
bars run from the disc to the edges and corners of the flag. The width of
each bar is slightly less than one-fifth the height of the flag. In the centre of
each bar, one-third its width, is a blue stripe running from the edge of the disc
to the corner or the middle of the edge of the flag. Centred on the disc is a
stylized flower composed of a central disc surrounded by a ring of ten smaller
discs, all in yellow, over five white petals surrounding the ring, their edges
touching and the uppermost pointing to the top of the flag. Extending from
each junction between the petals is a small pointed leaf (sepal) in light green.
Jim Croft, Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18,
2011
Abbotsford is known as the “Hub of the Fraser Valley” and
the flag is a symbolic depiction of this slogan. The bars represent the roads
in the area, with the central disc representing Abbotsford at the centre of the
crossroads. The green field represents the agricultural fields, meadows, and
forests within Abbotsford. The green was derived from the flag of the
District
of Matsqui (which amalgamated with the District of Abbotsford in June
1995 to become the City of Abbotsford). The strawberry plant (Fragaria sp.)
is called a “fraise” in heraldry. It is a pun on “Fraser” for Simon Fraser, the
fur trader and explorer who mapped much of British Columbia, for whom
the valley and river were named in about 1808. The plant also represents the
strawberry itself, an important agricultural product of the area. The flag is a
banner of the city’s arms.
Jim Croft, Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18, 2011
Robert D. Watt, Chief Herald of Canada, Canadian Heraldic
Authority.
Jim Croft, Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18, 2011
The grant of arms, supporters, flag and badge of Abbotsford was issued on
25 October 1995 (The Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada,
Vol. III, p. 59).
http://archive.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=576
The flag is presented as a banner of the arms.
http://archive.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=576&ProjectElementID=2027
The coat of arms is described as follows:
"Blazon
Arms
Vert a cross and saltire merged Or voided Azure and overall in centre point
a bezant charged with a strawberry flower proper;
Crest
Issuant
from a mural coronet Gules masoned Argent bearing a frieze of alternating
maple leaves and mullets Argent a representation of a northwest coast First
Peoples thunderbird Or edged Sable embellished Gules;
Supporters
On a grassy mound Vert set with a strawberry plant between daffodils proper
and rising above barry wavy Argent Azure and Argent two lions Or armed
langued and gorged with collars the rim heightened with raspberries all
Gules;
Motto
UNUS CUM VIRIBUS DUORUM.
Symbolism of
Coat of Arms
Arms
The gold disc and cross symbolize Abbotsford, known as the “hub” of the
Fraser Valley. The strawberry flower is the fraise of the Fraser clan, and
is a reference to Simon Fraser, the namesake of the valley. With the
amalgamation of the Districts of Abbotsford and Matsqui in January 1995, a
primary colour of the former Abbotsford arms was changed from blue to green
to reflect the dominant colour taken from the Matsqui arms. The green is
also a reference to the rich agricultural lands, meadows and forests
associated with the City of Abbotsford.
Crest
The mural coronet
denotes that these are the arms of a municipality. The red masonry is a
reference to the Clayburn brick industry. The band of white stars and maple
leaves honour the City of Abbotsford as an historic gateway to the
international border with the United States of America. The thunderbird is
taken from the crest of the District of Matsqui and commemorates the unique
culture and contribution made by the First Nations from the area.
Supporters
The lions represent the multicultural heritage of Abbotsford’s
citizens. They are made distinctive to the City of Abbotsford by their
collars featuring raspberries coronets, a reference to the abundant
raspberry growing industry. The lions stand on a grassy mound referring to
the lands of the City. The daffodils represent its floral riches, and the
strawberry flowers allude to the market gardens as well as specialized
agricultural production. The wavy bands representing water symbolize the
rivers and other bodies of water in the City of Abbotsford.
Motto
UNUS CUM VIRIBUS DUORUM, meaning “One with the strength of two”, was the
motto of the District of Abbotsford. This Latin phrase represents the
strength derived from two separate municipalities becoming one."
http://archive.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=576&ProjectElementID=2023
Ivan Sache, 2 August 2010
![[Abbotsford, British Columbia]](../images/c/ca-bc-ab92-l.gif)
image by
Eugene Ipavec
Source: Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18
The City of Abbotsford
has flown three previous flags: two
from the District of Abbotsford and
one from the District of Matsqui. On
22 June 1993 the Canadian Heraldic
Authority granted a flag to the District
of Abbotsford exactly like the current
one, except the field is dark blue rather than green (in some depictions the
white petals have light blue highlights).
Jim Croft, Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18, 2011
On the twentieth anniversary of incorporation (1992), the District of
Abbotsford was granted a coat of arms by the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
These arms had a Blue background, and featured straight and diagonal crosses
forming a pattern reminiscent of the Union Jack, apparently representing
Abbotsford as the "crossroads", at the centre is a strawberry
blossom, representing the local berry growing industry, and also the Fraser
River. The flag was a banner of arms.
Dean McGee, 9 August 2005
![[Abbotsford, pre-1992]](../images/c/ca-bc-ablogo-l.gif)
image by
Eugene Ipavec
Source: Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18
The previous flag had a dark blue field
with abbotsford in yellow sans-serif letters
running from the lower hoist to the
upper fly. The “a”, much larger than the
other letters, encircles a stylized eight-spoked
wheel and its “tail” underlines
the rest of the name all the way to the
fly edge. The wheel refers to the district’s location at the crossroads of the
Fraser Valley.
Jim Croft, Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18, 2011
![[Matsqui district, British Columbia]](../images/c/ca-bc-mq-l.gif)
image by
Eugene Ipavec
Source: Canadian City Flags,
Raven 18
The District of Matsqui had a coat of Arms granted by the College of
Heralds in England.
The arms included two winged wheels (Abbotsford Airport was in Matsqui
District), two sprigs of Strawberry plants, and a beehive kiln. The
Thunderbird crest (which faces the sinister) was adapted to become the crest
of the new city.
Dean McGee, 9 August 2005
![[Abbortsford Police]](../images/c/ca-bcabp.gif)
image by Dean McGee,
9 August 2005
Abbotsford Police Department is one of the few independent city police
forces in BC. Prior to amalgamation, Matsqui had its own police force, and
Abbotsford an RCMP detachment. After Amalgamation the new force took the
Abbotsford name, and many of the Matsqui symbols. Their flag is reminiscent of
the old Matsqui Flag. It features the full Coat of Arms of the City on a
Green-White-Green Canadian Pale, with "ABBOTSFORD" written above,
and "POLICE" written below, in straight horizontal lines, in
sans-serif capitals.
Dean McGee, 9 August 2005
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