Updated Jan 02, 2024
Oh, Canada! Our home and native land, we love thee so. Canada has ten provinces and three territories, all of which are home to unique people, places and wildlife. With two national languages, English and French, we pride ourselves on diversity, welcoming people from all walks of life.
If you’re looking for a way to show off your pride in your province or catalogue the gorgeous provinces you visited on your road trip this year, E-Patches & Crests has a colourful selection of patches just for you!
If you're looking for a big badge with every shield on it, try our Provincial Shields badge.
British Columbia has a long stretch of Pacific coastline with rolling mountains and dense forests. Its beautiful scenery and crisp seaside air will make you realize how big the world really is as you walk along the coast. Its provincial flower is the Pacific dogwood and has been since 1956. British Columbia's Coat of Arms features a crowned lion atop the royal crown, framed by a wapiti stag and bighorn sheep. These two animals represent the union of the Vancouver Island colony and British Columbia colony in 1866.
British Columbia's motto is "Splendor sine occasu," Latin for “Splendour without diminishment.”
Sharing a border with British Columbia, Alberta shares the Rocky Mountains. In addition to its rich mountainous landscape, Alberta also has badlands, coniferous forests and vast prairies. Alberta is one of the best provinces for farming, although it’s most known for the Calgary Stampede. Alberta’s floral emblem is the wild rose since 1930. Alberta's Coat of Arms reflects its natural geography of wheat fields and snow-capped mountains. A beaver wears the crown as the fur trade was the first major economy in Alberta. The royal lion and pronghorn antelope native to Alberta support the arms on either side.
Alberta's motto is "Fortis et liber" is Latin for “Strong and free.”
Saskatchewan is primarily grassland which makes it perfect for farming. While it does contain part of the Canadian Shield plateau, Saskatchewan is mostly flat. It is also home to coniferous forests, rivers and lakes. As of 1941, Saskatchewan’s provincial flower is a Western red lily. Saskatchewan's Coat of Arms focuses on its wheat production, featuring a royal lion and white-tailed deer on either side of the crest.
Saskatchewan's motto is "Multis e gentibus vires," Latin for “From many peoples, strength."
Manitoba has rivers, lakes, forests, mountains and prairies stretching from the northern Arctic tundra to Hudson Bay. This province has four main languages: English, Cree, Ojibwe (Anishinaabe), and French. Since 1906, Manitoba's floral emblem has been a prairie crocus. Manitoba's Coat of Arms represents the Aboriginal people with a Buffalo, and has a Unicorn for early Scottish settlers and a horse, which was vital for settlers and First Nations peoples.
Manitoba's motto is derived from "O Canada": "Gloriosus et liber," Latin for “Glorious and free.”
Next to Manitoba is Ontario, which holds the capital of Canada, Ottawa. Ottawa is known for Parliament Hill, home to Canada’s federal government. Ontario borders the Great Lakes and is home to boreal forests. Ontario's provincial flower is white trilliums and has been ever since 1937. Ontario's Coat of Arms features a black bear, which is found throughout the province, a moose and white-tailed deer (which are provincial animals), and a maple emblem.
Ontario's Motto is "Ut incepit fidelis sic permanent," Latin for “Loyal it began, loyal it remains.”
Québec is the only province in Canada whose official language is French. Home to tundras, taigas, deciduous forests and the St. Laurence River, this is the largest of Canada’s ten provinces. Since 1999, the Québec provincial flower has been the blue flag iris. Québec's Coat of Arms features a royal crown for the monarchy, the three gold fleurs-de-lis on blue (which was on the royal arms of France), and the lion from England.
Québec's motto is "Je me souviens," French for “I remember."
New Brunswick is one of the four Atlantic provinces. Did you know this is the only province where both English and French are the official languages? It is known for its lobsters, untouched wilderness, and pristine beaches. New Brunswick's floral emblem has been the purple violet since 1936. To pay homage to the shipping industry, New Brunswick's Coat of Arms features a salmon and a sailing ship. It also includes two white-tailed deer wearing a belt of Maliseet wampum honouring the Maliseet people.
New Brunswick's motto is "Spem reduxit," Latin for “Hope was restored.”
Also famous for its lobsters is Nova Scotia. Another one of the four Atlantic provinces, Nova Scotia, is home to Acadian forests and lush river valleys. If you love the beach, this is the place to be! Nova Scotia’s provincial flower is a mayflower, ever since 1901. Nova Scotia's Coat of Arms features two hands shaking with a laurel and thistle to represent the people of Scotland and Nova Scotia (New Scotland). A unicorn and an Aboriginal person stand on either side of the emblem.
Nova Scotia's motto is "Munit haec et altera vincit," Latin for “This one defends and the other conquers.”
Prince Edward Island is renowned for its seafood. If you love lobsters and muscles, this is the place to be! With red-sand beaches, fertile farmland and boreal forests, Prince Edward Island is utterly gorgeous. PEI's provincial flower, the lady slipper, was adopted in 1947. PEI's Coat of Arms features a blue jay with a red oak leaf in its beak, symbolizing Prince Edward Island's official tree. The two supporters are silver foxes to emphasize the importance of the fur industry in PEI.
PEI's motto is "Parva sub ingenti" Latin for “The small under the protection of the great.”
Together, Newfoundland and Labrador form Canada’s eastern province. Known for its cliffs, waterfalls and glacial fjords, this province is covered in tundra and taiga. Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial flower is a gorgeous pitcher plant chosen in 1954. Featuring a proud caribou, Newfoundland's Coat of Arms is framed by two Beothk people, representing the indigenous peoples.
Newfoundland's motto is "Quaerite prime regnum dei," Latin for “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.”
The Yukon is one of the three territories of Canada. It’s home to Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak, as well as many glaciers, the porcupine caribou, and vast swaths of uncharted wilderness. Since 1957, the fireweed has been Yukon's official flower, decorating its landscape with splashes of brilliant colour. Yukon's Coat of Arms features a husky standing proudly at the top, representing the use of sled dogs used for years as transportation.
The Northwest Territories is one of Canada’s three territories. It is filled with forests, mountains, arctic tundra, and the Canadian Arctic archipelago, making it by far the hardest part of Canada to colour in school. The mountain avens has been the Northwest Territories' official flower since 1957. Framed by two narwhals, the Northwest Territories' Coat of Arms pays homage to its natural landscape and native animals, such as the Arctic fox.
Nunavut is one of Canada’s three territories. Forming most of Canada’s arctic archipelago, it’s equally as hard to colour in as the Northwest Territories. Filled with craggy mountains and expansive tundras, Nunavut is largely populated by the Inuit people, a group indigenous to Canada. Nunavut’s official flower is the purple saxifrage, ever since 2000. Nunavut's Coat of Arms has an igloo ontop of it, representing the traditional life of the Nunavut people. It is framed on either side by a tuktu (Caribou) and qilalugaq tugaalik (Narwhal).
Nunavut's motto "Nunavut Sanginivut," is Inuktitut for "Nunavut, our strength.”
We also have Canada's provincial shields on embroidered patches; browse our collection of E-Patches & Crests’ provincial shields. Looking for Canada's provincial symbols? Purchase our provincial flowers set.
Indy Scott is our content writer! They are nonbinary (they/he) and love to customize their clothing with patches.
