Design: Burton
Client: Hudson’s Bay Company
Date: 2011
Part of the HBC’s heritage collection, a group of products that honour the past look and feel of the Bay. An unusual collaboration but easy to see the rationale, Burton teamed up with the HBC to produce a limited edition version 158cm board, with graphics pulled directly from a signature HBC point blanket that was introduced during the Canadian fur trade in 1780.
Add comment January 10th, 2012
Design: R.W.G. Heughan of Ross & Macdonald and F.H. Portnall
Client:
Date: 1926
The Cenotaph is made from Stanstead grey granite. The inscription at the top reads: “To the Glory of God and the immortal memory of the citizens of Regina who gave their lives in the great war, 1914-1919.” A rededication was held in 1990 to honour those Regina citizens who served in World War II and the Korean War and inscription was added to the monument.
Add comment November 11th, 2011
Design: Ken Lum
Client: PennySmash
Date: 2011
“Monument for East Vancouver is a nod to the street image circulated in East Vancouver for decades. The image has multiple associations, including religion and irreverence, and is an assertion of eastside identity.”
Ken Lum, beloved Vancouver artist, former head of the studio art graduate program at University of British Columbia, professor in Paris, Munich, San Francisco and Hangzhou. Curator, editor, published author, and exhibited at Biennales around the globe. Creator of the Monument for East Vancouver erected at the corner of East 6th Avenue at Clark Drive, Ken Lum now brings his iconic piece to your pocket.
When you purchase the Ken Lum penny you will be contributing to BC Children’s Hospital.
1 comment November 4th, 2011
Design: Morris Shumiatcher
Client: Smithbilt Hats
Date: 1946
The official symbol of Calgary, it has been given to visiting dignitaries since 1950.
Add comment July 10th, 2011
Design: BRP (André Côté, Ivan Brousseau and Steve Tétreault)
Client: Formula 1 and Octane Racing Group
Date: 2011
The winning concept by was inspired by local artistic, cultural and technological landmarks, as well as Canada’s emblem for its form and colour. The final selection was made by the management of Grand Prix du Canada with F1 officials. The trophy was awarded to British driver Jenson Button of McLaren Mercedes, who completed the 70 laps around Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in 4:04:39.537.
Add comment June 22nd, 2011
Design:
Client: Hotel Georgia
Date: 2010
Building wrap for Vancouver Olympics.
1 comment June 17th, 2011
Design:
Client:
Date: 1892
To celebrate and mark the early championship teams in Canadian hockey, Lord Stanley “purchased a decorative punch bowl, made in Sheffield, England, and sold by London silversmith G. R. Collis and Company, for ten guineas ($45). He had the words “Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup” engraved on one side of the outside rim, and “From Stanley of Preston” on the other side”.
Source: Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley’s Cup. Triumph Books. ISBN 1-55168-261-3.
Add comment May 18th, 2011
Design:
Client: National Hockey League
Date: 1963
There are actually three Stanley Cups, the original bowl, the authenticated Cup, and the replica at the Hall of Fame. Click to read more about this Canadian iconic design.
Add comment May 18th, 2011
Design: Joe David
Client:
Date: 1977
Via our friends at the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver Ltd.
3 comments April 20th, 2011
Design: Celia Godkin
Client: Royal Canadian Mint
Date: 2009
Following on the success of the Mint’s first coin combining colour and crystal applications in 2008, here is another painted fine silver coin. Featuring a maple leaf with a glistening Swarovski drop of water dripping from its surface, only 10,000 of this unique (bordering on garish) design were produced.
Via Coin News.
2 comments April 17th, 2011
Design: Harvey Chan
Client: The Royal Canadian Mint
Date: 2009
Struck in a heavy 92.5 percent silver with 7.5 percent copper the design depicts an Ox resting in a field on a gold plated octagonal center. Surrounding this image is a wide outer ring, presenting all 12 animals of the Chinese lunar calendar.This series of coins began in 1998 and this one is the final addition. The Ox is the lunar sign for those born in 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997 and 2009.
1 comment April 11th, 2011
Design: Alan Beddoe
Client: Government of Canada
Date: 1964
This is the first flag proposal to Parliament, and was nicknamed the “Pearson Pennant” after Prime Minister Lester Pearson who advocated for the design. Alan Beddoe’s concept is close to the current flag, with two solid edges that represented the country from sea to sea, and three red maple leaves exploding from a white background.
As you can imagine, there are loads of folklore around the design of the Canadian flag, and I found the following comments by N. Artimovich interesting. “The Canadian flag was created in response to the Anglo-Egyptian difficulties over the Suez Canal in the late 1950′s. The Government of Canada were brought in as peace keepers but the Egyptian group objected, saying (in reference to the Canadian Red Ensign) “Look at the Union Jack in their flag and you’ll see that Canadians cannot be objective.” That comment really kicked the Canadian flag issue into the forefront of public consciousness, culminating in the 1965 flag debate”.
“The design of the Pearson Pennant unquestionably became the focus of the public’s anger over the flag issue. Aside from the aesthetics, many criticized Pearson’s tactics in immediately favouring one design and branded him a tyrant and his methods dictatorial; feeling one person’s choice would be forced upon them, many Canadians echoed Diefenbaker’s call for a national referendum on the flag”.
After a national design contest, and much debate, this design fell to the wayside and the current Maple Leaf with red trim was brought forward, and ultimately cast into its role as the symbol of the country.
Add comment April 10th, 2011
Design: Mike Davis
Client:
Date:
“Originally designed as a gift for my beautiful baby niece Hailey, I decided to change a few things on it and expand this into a screenprinted print. I love typography, kids need to learn the alphabet, it just kinda worked out.”
- Via
3 comments January 21st, 2011
Design: Douglas Coupland
Client:
Date: 2011
Honouring early Canadian painting, this collection brings the past forward. Coupland fragments and slices these early pieces, and this hacking and remixing gives us a fresh perspective on the Group of 7, Emily Carr and others. The process celebrates the incoming 100 years of the Group of 7 but ultimately reminds us all to look backwards, as much as forwards, for our creative inspiration.
2 comments January 10th, 2011
