Lethbridge Coat of Arms

A framed embroidered cushion top featuring the 1907 design of the City of Lethbridge coat of arms. According to the donor, the cushion top was purchased for $2 at the 1911 Dry Farming Congress in 1911. The framed embroidery piece was donated to the Galt’s collection in 2001.

Galt Museum & Archives, P19683003000

Lethbridge had officially been incorporated as a city for a little over a year in 1907. The community was growing with new buildings going up on almost every street. Expectations for the future were high for the community. In July, Alderman Charles Bowman announced he was funding a contest for the best design for an official coat of arms for Lethbridge, with a $25 prize. Bowman received seventeen entries and selected the design submitted by Reverend Chivers of St. Augustine's parish as the winner. 

Chivers used symbols of the City's most prominent industries of the day at the heart of the design: a train for transportation, an arm wielding a pick for coal mining, and a bushel of wheat for agriculture. The original town seal from 1890 had featured a miner at work, so the raised pick was a reference to the previous design. Around the central circle, Chivers placed the dates 1890 and 1906, the dates that Lethbridge became a town and then a city, respectively. Below he inscribed a Latin motto "Ad Occasionis Juanam" which translates to "Gateway to Opportunity." At the top, he placed a crown to represent the British monarchy. Lethbridge City Council formally adopted the design as the official city coat of arms on September 16, 1907. 

The City has used the coat of arms, now known as the City Crest, as its primary brand for over a century. But Lethbridge is quite different today from the community it was in 1907. City Council has recently retired the use of the old crest. Still, it will remain an essential part of the visual history of the community, being featured on many objects and documents in the Galt's collections and archives. You can find examples in the Galt's online database at http://collections.galtmuseum.com.