This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Surrey, British Columbia (Canada)

Greater Vancouver Regional District

Last modified: 2021-12-31 by rob raeside
Keywords: surrey | british columbia | beaver: gold | stars: gold (5) | building |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors


[Surrey flag] 1:2 image by Eugene Ipavec
Source: Canadian City Flags, Raven 18

See also:

Surrey

Located at the crossroads of the Pacific Rim, Greater Vancouver and the United States, Surrey is accessible to all major cities in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The recent addition of the Skytrain rapid transit line means Vancouver is less than 35 minutes away via public transit. Surrey is traversed to five major highways, four railways, deep-sea docking facilities and an international airport. The Canada/U.S. border puts City Centre businesses within easy access of local, national and world markets.

As one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, Surrey City Centre has been touted as the Lower Mainland's Downtown for the Fraser Valley. With 301.76 square km, Surrey is also the largest city in BC's Lower Mainland, second largest in population. The City of Surrey is encouraging developers and builders to utilize its available non-agricultural land for business and industrial purposes and has streamlined development approval to maintain a high level of service to business.

The 900 plus businesses which locate to Surrey each year also have access to a large consumer market as well as a talented and diversified labour pool capable of supporting a wide range of business needs.
City of Surrey

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 Surrey flag has proportions of 3:5 (1:2 usage) and a white field. In the centre is the shield of the city’s coat of arms (granted by the English Kings of Arms on 17 August 1987), with a brown border. The shield has a golden yellow beaver (Castor canadensis) facing left between two wavy blue stripes, each bordered in white. Above the upper stripe are five golden yellow stars and below the lower stripe is a representation of the Peace Arch in white with black details. Extending from both sides of the shield are two wavy white stripes, each bordered in blue and connecting to their counterparts on the shield, running to the edges of the flag.
Jim Croft, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Symbolism

The beaver, the national animal, is derived from the 1879 municipal seal. The five stars represent the five historic town centres comprising modern Surrey: Whalley, Guildford, Newton, Cloverdale, and South Surrey. The Peace Arch, built in 1921, stands on the international border between Surrey, British Columbia and Blaine, Washington, one of the busiest border crossings between Canada and the United States. It commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 and the peace between the two countries ever since.
Jim Croft, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

"In the shield, a gold beaver was placed at the centre, as the historic emblem of the Corporation. On either side were two wavy bars of white and blue, representing the two main rivers in the municipality, the Serpentine and Nicomekl. In the upper part of the shield, five gold stars were set, one for each of Surrey's five historic town centres. At the base of the shield was a representation of the Peace Arch monument, symbolizing Surrey's southern border at the international boundary."
Robert G. Watt, Chief Herald of Canada, The Greater Vancouver Book

Selection

The Corporation of the District of Surrey was incorporated in 1879, and granted the status of a City on 12 September, 1993. The new coat of arms and flag were granted c.1987
Dean McGee 30 March 2003

Designer

Unknown.
Jim Croft, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Logo Flag

[Surrey logo flag] image located by Valentin Poposki, 27 November 2011

The city branding guide states:
"The Municipal flag will feature the logo in the centre and will be double sided. The “Green elements” will be used at the base of the flag to provide a solid foundation for the logo and to emphasize the green, open spaces of Surrey."
Valentin Poposki, 31 December 2011

Surrey Police Service

[Surrey logo flag] image located by Dave Fowler, 24 December 2021
Based on https://www.gg.ca/en/heraldry/public-register/project/3366

Surrey, British Columbia
Grant of Arms, Flag and Badge
October 15, 2021
Vol. VIII, p. 23

Blazon
Azure a fess chequy Argent and Azure edged Or between in chief an eye in the style of the Coast Salish Peoples and in base six mullets Or;

Symbolism
The eye in the Coast Salish style illustrates the local Indigenous idea of guardians watching over people, which police officers are sworn to do. This emblem was designed by the Semiahmoo First Nation artist Leslie Wells as a gift to the Surrey Police Service in honour of the strong and fruitful relationship between the city and the Semiahmoo, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Kwantlen, Qayqayt and Tsawwassen First Nations, on whose traditional lands the city has grown. Often seen on police service hats, the three rows of squares refer to the organization and its services. This grid pattern also alludes to the street layout of Surrey. The stars represent the six town centres of Surrey.
Dave Fowler, 24 December 2021