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Lethbridge, Alberta
Grant of Arms, Supporters and a Flag
January 20, 2012
Vol. VI, p. 100
Arms of the University of LethbridgeBlazonAzure a sun in splendour Or within an orle Argent; SymbolismA blue shield with white edging and the sun has been used as the university’s emblem since 1974. The sun represents intellectual illumination and enlightenment. |
CrestBlazonIssuant from a circlet of wild roses, a closed book proper lying flat bound Azure its spine to the dexter resting thereon an open book proper bound Azure its sinister page surmounted by an eagle’s feather proper; SymbolismThe books are symbols of education and appeared in the crest of the 1974 coat of arms design. The eagle feather pays tribute to the First Peoples of Canada and acknowledges the university’s location on Blackfoot land. The wild rose is the provincial flower of Alberta. |
MottoBlazonFIAT LUX; SymbolismThis Latin motto means “Let there be light”. It refers metaphorically to the illumination that comes from research and learning, symbolized by the sun in the arms. |
SupportersBlazonDexter a pronghorn buck, sinister a mule deer doe, each holding a miner’s lamp and standing on a grassy base set with coulees, a rock and rough fescue proper; SymbolismThe pronghorn – one of the supporters of the arms of Alberta – and the mule deer were used as the supporters in the university’s 1968 coat of arms design. The university’s sports teams are named the Pronghorns. The pronghorn buck and mule deer doe represent the men and women who make up the university community. The coulee landscape and rough fescue (the official grass of Alberta) are characteristic of southern Alberta, and the sun-grass-animal connection represents the flow of energy that supports all life and reminds us of our own connection with the landscape. The rock below the shield recalls the name “Medicine Rock” bestowed on the university by Blackfoot elder Bruce Wolf Child in 2002. It also alludes to glacial erratics, large rocks deposited in the area when the glaciers receded. The miner’s lantern, an artifact of the early history of Lethbridge, recalls the idea of the illumination of knowledge and symbolizes the achievements of the university’s alumni. Shown as a traditional Welsh miner’s lantern, it symbolizes the coal mining industry that helped develop the local economy in the late 1800s and early 1900s. |
Flag of the University of LethbridgeBlazonAzure a sun in splendour Or; SymbolismThis flag has been in use since 1988. |
BackgroundCanada Gazette InformationThe announcement of the letters patent was made on November 3, 2012 in Volume 146, page 3052 of the Canada Gazette.  |
Additional InformationCreator(s)Original concept of the University of Lethbridge Coat of Arms Presidential Advisory Committee, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority. PainterRobert Grey CalligrapherLuc Saucier Recipient TypeCivil Institution
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