Plessisville, Quebec (Canada) (original) (raw)

I scanned this image from the catalogue of Mirabeau, a flag manufacturer in Old Montreal, from the early 1990s.
Luc Baronian, 26 May 2005

The Municipality of the City of Plessisville (6,677 inhabitants in 2006; 444 ha) is located in central Quebec. The city is enclaved inside the Municipality of the Parish of Plessisville.

Plessisville is the oldest municipality in the Bois-Francs region. In autumn 1835, Jean-Baptiste Lafond and his son founded the hamlet of Somerset, joined in the next years by several other colonists who cleared the neighbouring forest. Ten years later, Somerset counted 143 inhabitants. Access to Quebec was possible by the Provincial Road (1848) and by the Great Trunk railway (1854). In 1855, Somerset was incorporated as the Village of Plessisville, named for Joseph-Octave Plessis (1763-1825), Bishop (1806) and first Archbishop (1819) of Quebec. On 16 May 1885, a huge blaze suppressed the church, the presbytery, the foundry and 60 houses. The Cooperative of Quebec Producers of Maple Sugar established in 1928 its first factory in Plessisville. The city has hosted the annual Maple Festival since 1958. It is the second oldest festival in the province, after the Quebec Winter Carnival. Plessisville was proclaimed the World Maple Capital in 1976

http://ville.plessisville.qc.ca/fr/content/historique.aspx - Municipal website
http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=3076 - Joseph-Octave Plessis, The Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

The arms of Plessisville are "Per fess, 1a. Argent a semy of fleurs-de-lis azure a chevron gules, 1b. Gules a crozier or, 2. Azure a tree or terraced vert." The shield surmounted by a mural crown gules charged with a cross flory argent. The shield surrounded by branches of maple leaved vert. Under the shield a scroll or inscribed with the motto "MELIORA PARAMUS" in letters sable.

Argent is the symbol of stainless honor. The fleurs-de-lis are the emblem of Quebec and France. Azure is the color of perfection. The chevron represents family and tradition. Gules is the color of force and courage. The crozier or priest's staff is the emblem of the ecclesiastic jurisdiction. Or is the color of generosity. The tree symbolizes force and, maybe, maple sugar industry. The tree has its roots anchored in a terrace vert [the roots are, indeed, not represented on the arms], the color of hope and future. The mural crown gules is the symbol of wisdom and the emblem of Cities. The cross flory argent is the symbol of faith. The maple leaves represent Canada. The motto means "We Are Preparing Better [Things]".
-http://ville.plessisville.qc.ca/fr/content/logo_armoirie.aspx - Municipal website

Ivan Sache, 29 July 2012

[](../images/c/ca-qcple2.gif) image by Masao Okazaki, 28 February 2022
based on photo located by Dave Fowler, 28 February 2022

[](../images/c/ca-qcple-old.gif) image by Masao Okazaki, 28 February 2022
based on photo located by Dave Fowler, 28 February 2022

By searching for the city hall, I found a larger image of the old flag. It has the motto in a single line in a different typeface.https://stringfixer.com/files/316157244.jpg
Masao Okazaki, 28 February 2022