Latest news with #ForrestPass
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Round 1— Provincial
Historically, a society's most important symbols often started with a concrete purpose. "The need to authenticate documents is when we start to see great seals representing particular governments," said Forrest Pass, a curator at Library and Archives Canada. "You need a means of distinguishing soldiers on one side from soldiers on the other, and that's when we start to see coats of arms and badges and flags." British Columbia's flag was created in 1960, but its history goes much further than that. It derives from its coat of arms, which was designed in 1895, and features a Union Jack on one half and a setting sun against the ocean waves on the other. "The persistence of imperial British emblems seems to loom larger and last longer in British Columbia than other parts of Canada," said Pass, noting it goes right to the very name of the province itself. "In all cultures, all communities, symbols are contested and a source of debate. And perhaps certain symbols have been even more contested in B.C. than they have been elsewhere in the country." British Columbia's flag is arguably its most "official" symbol, and the one used most to define where we are. But is it our best symbol? What will advance to Round 2? In the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol, the flag is one of 16 symbols we included in the provincial section of the competition. It includes other provincial graphic designs (highway signs and "N" license plate stickers), regional signifiers (Ogopogo and Okanagan wine), images associated with the West Coast more than others in Canada (umbrellas and logging trucks), and much more. Voting will take place over several weeks. A series of one-on-one matchups will narrow the number of symbols from 64 to 32, 32 to 16, and eventually down to one champion: Animals (voting takes place on Mondays). Nature (voting takes place on Tuesdays). Coastal (voting takes place on Wednesdays). Provincial (voting takes place on Thursdays). While the Union Jack is the part of the flag that serves as the strongest link to British Columbia's past, Pass thinks the other half of the flag is just as noteworthy. "The flag is so bright and the sun is so recognizable," he said. "Symbols that are so specific to a region and particular place do help them to resonate." Voting is open until 10 p.m. Pacific time on Wednesday.
CBC
6 days ago
- General
- CBC
Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Round 1 — Nature
The geography and natural beauty of British Columbia have always sparked the imagination of people who have moved here — right down to one of its first colonial symbols. "Long before the Maple Leaf was an official emblem in Eastern Canada, B.C. had an evergreen tree ... being used on an official symbol," said Forrest Pass, a curator at Library and Archives Canada. The symbol in question was the Great Seal of Vancouver Island, and the part of a tree depicted was a pinecone, reflecting the many evergreen trees in the region. "Local flora and fauna, I think those symbols become more meaningful because they are aspects of people's everyday life. They're aspects of people's memories," said Pass. From trees to mountains, rivers to fruits, the unique natural aspects of British Columbia have long been powerful symbols of this province. But which one is the best? 64 Symbols, 1 Winner It's day two of the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol, a friendly vote to determine which iconic thing in this province represents us best. Voting will take place over several weeks. A series of one-on-one matchups will narrow the number of symbols from 64 to 32, 32 to 16, and eventually down to one champion: Animals (voting takes place on Mondays). Nature (voting takes place on Tuesdays). Coastal (voting takes place on Wednesdays). Provincial (voting takes place on Thursdays). WATCH | Here's how it works: After more than 50,000 votes on Day 1 in the animal section, today we look at symbols in nature — including three evergreen trees in the Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, and Red Cedar (with the Arbutus tree rounding out our tree quadrant). Pass says that while the vote may be an unscientific competition, it's also a unique opportunity to see what symbols resonate the most for people in this province. "As a historian, it's often difficult to tell how much particular symbols do resonate," he said. "When we do have these opportunities to see what the public thinks about symbols and see which ones do resonate, it becomes really interesting data for a future historian to look at it in 2025, and see what symbolized British Columbia to British Columbians." Voting is open until 10 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday. Happy voting!
