Flag of Richmond, British Columbia

Richmond

Design	Border

The flag flying at Vancouver International Airport

The flag of Richmond, British Columbia depicts a field of gold surrounded by a thick blue border. In the centre of the field is a shield (the escutcheon of the coat of arms of the city of Richmond), depicting three Pacific Salmon fish on a light blue wave running vertically down the shield.

Municipal Council first asked staff to prepare a report on the design of a civic flag on July 22, 1985. Council minutes of April 14, 1986 indicate that “the Municipal Flag had been officially introduced to the public at the opening of Brighouse Park on Saturday, April 12, 1986.” This is much later than the adoption of the coat of arms, which occurred on November 10, 1979, the centenary of incorporation of the municipality.

The design of the flag is based on Richmond’s Coat of Arms. The official description of the Coat of Arms as used in the program for the Coat of Arms Presentation Ceremony of Nov. 10, 1979 identifies blue and gold as the “accepted colours for Richmond.” The inner design of the flag represents the shield on the coat of arms. The statement of significance of the Coat of Arms states: “The shield is coloured gold, with the wavy pale bar in blue, and three Pacific Salmon thereon in natural colour – silver. The blue bar represents the Fraser River and the delta waters that surround Richmond. The salmon are representative of the most common species that abound in the waters around the municipality. The salmon relate also to the strong historic and continuing association with the fishing industry, responsible for the early prosperity and growth of the community and very much evident in the present day economy of Richmond.”