Vernon, British Columbia (Canada) (original) (raw)

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North Okanagan Regional District

Last modified: 2023-08-19 by rob raeside
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[](../images/c/ca-bc-ve-l.gif)1:2 image by Eugene Ipavec Source: Canadian City Flags, Raven 18

• Vernon
• Current Flag
  • Design
  • Symbolism
  • Selection
  • Designer
  • Blazon
• Former Flag
• Logo Flag See also:
• North Okanagan Regional District
• Municipal and County Flags of British Columbia
• British Columbia
• Canada

Vernon

Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada, 440 km northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped establish the famed Coldstream Ranch in nearby Coldstream. The City of Vernon was incorporated on December 30, 1892. The City of Vernon has a population of 40,000 (2013), while its metropolitan region, Greater Vernon, has a population of 58,584 as of the Canada 2011 Census. With this population, Vernon is the largest city in the North Okanagan Regional District.
Source: Wikipedia

Current Flag

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.

Design

The flag of the City of Vernon has a white field with a simple shield in the centre, three-fourths the height of the flag. The shield has five flat sides, perpendicular at the top, left, and right, and at the base two angled sides meeting at a point below. Bordered in golden yellow, the shield has two panels. The upper panel, a rectangle bordered by the top, left, and right sides, has a blue field with a large serif letter �V� in red edged in yellow. The top of the �V� reaches to three-fourths the height of the panel and its base touches the lower edge of the panel. In the centre of the �V� is the face of an elk (Cervus canadensis) in golden yellow with brown details, with antlers spreading above the �V� to the upper corners of the shield. To the left of the �V� is a sheaf of wheat in golden yellow, to the right is a cornucopia in golden yellow with its opening oriented upward, showing fruit in red. The lower panel, an inverted triangle, is white with two horizontal wavy stripes in blue, edged in golden yellow. At the base is a sun in golden yellow, with nine rays alternating long and short, with the central ray reaching the top edge of the panel.
Alison Wilkes, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Symbolism

The city describes the flag�s symbolism:
"Vernon was incorporated in December 1892 and the Crest [emblem] was adopted at that time and later incorporated into a Chain of Office. The �V� of the shield represents the name of our City. The elk represents the wildlife of the area (elk were plentiful at the time Vernon was incorporated). The sheaves represent the importance of agriculture. The horn of plenty represents the fruit industry. The lower part comprising the wavy blue lines on the white background depicts the many lakes in the area and the sunburst is indicative of the splendid climate enjoyed in the sunny Okanagan Valley. (This part also echoes the base of theprovincial flag.)"
Alison Wilkes, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Selection

Unknown. The city emblem was included as part of the application to register the city with the provincial government and thus was officially adopted when Vernon was incorporated on 31 December 1892. A group of businessmen, after attempting to engage the community in putting together the application for cityhood (which included the emblem), forged ahead by themselves to get the application approved after community members failed to come to meetings.
Alison Wilkes, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Designer

Unknown.
Alison Wilkes, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Former Flag

[](../images/c/ca-bc-veo-l.gif)1:2 image by Eugene Ipavec Source: Canadian City Flags, Raven 18

A previous version placed CITY OF above the antlers at the top of the shield, and VERNON, all in white serifed letters, on a blue swallowtailed ribbon bordered in yellow curving below and touching the shield.
Alison Wilkes, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Logo Flag

[](../images/c/ca-bc-velogo-l.gif)3:5 image by Eugene Ipavec Source: Canadian City Flags, Raven 18

In 2009, the city created a new logo and tagline for tourism marketing, which can be used on a flag to represent the community, depending on the occasion. The city describes the symbolism of the new logo:

The logo colours refer to the lakes, hillsides, forests, and grasslands of Vernon. Representing the agricultural and forestry industries, the shape of a tree is created by tracing inside the three symbols of the logo. The symbolism of the �V� shapes may also be seen as arrows all pointing towards the centre, denoting a sense of community and well-being, and representing a balance of economic, environmental and social interests that the community strives for.

Alison Wilkes, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

[](../images/c/ca-bc-velogo-l2.gif)image by Masao Okazaki, 29 July 2023

Masao Okazaki, 29 July 2023