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

Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada)

image located by Vanja Poposki, 9 August 2012

Description of the flag

See also:

Description of the flag

The Town of Torbay (7,397 inhabitants in 2011; 3,488 ha) borders St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Quoting the municipal website:
[...] Torbay dates back to the 1500’s. Our shores have been influenced by wars, historic events, the rise and fall of the fishery, and an economic and population boom. Our namesake is in Devonshire, England, and ‘Torbay’ was first noted on a Newfoundland Map 400 years ago. An extract from Bishop Field’s Journal states: “Indeed, there seems to be a little colony of Devon folk in Torbay.”

The census of 1677 indicated residents from “Tarr-Bay,” Newfoundland. By 1794 the population totalled 108 English settlers and 99 Irish settlers. The community of Torbay experienced three French Campaigns, the first as early as 1696. These invasions contributed to the eventual construction of the Torbay Battery in 1781. Colonel William Amherst and his troops landed in 1762, on their way to recapturing the capital city of St. John’s from the French. [...]
http://torbay.ca/?Content=Torbay/About_Torbay/Beautiful_History

The flag of Torbay is in proportions 1:2, blue, with the municipal seal in the middle, placed on a white oval. On the flag, the motto under the seal is replaced by a blue scroll inscribed "TORBAY" in white letters.

Quoting the municipal website:
The coat of arms of Torbay, Newfoundland is the same as that of Torbay, England. The following is a description of the Coat of Arms in relation to Torbay, England:
"The background of blue with the curved 'chief' of gold suggests the shape of Torbay and its sea and sands. The mural crown is familiar in civic arms as a symbol of local government; its red colour indicates that of the Devon earth. Here, it is shown with four crenellations, and suggests Torbay constituting one civic authority comprising four formerly separate ones. The gold lymphad, refers to the many current and historical marine activities at Torquay, Paignton, Brixham and on the River Dart at Churston Ferrers, but particularly in Torbay proper. The ship bears the ancient St. George flags and streamers signifying associations with the Navy at various periods. Hanging from the masthead is a unique device representing the union of four marine authorities - a cross composed of the beams and stocks of four anchors, each limb resembling the letter T.

The basic colours of the wreath, blue and gold, allude to sea and sands of Torbay. Blue is one of the livery colours of the arms of the Borough of Torquay and of Paignton UDC and also prominent in the unofficial arms of Brixham UDC, whose blue and gold livery recalls, in the colours of the arms of Nassau, the historic landing of William III at Torbay. The crosier is one of the three from the arms of Torre Abbey, whose gateway is seen in the Torquay shield. The dolphins, from the crests of Brixham and Paignton, represent the pleasure of the seaside and its activities. The horseshoe refers to Churston Ferrers and is from the arms of the Ferrers family.

The sea lions are derived from the sea lion, which is one of the supporters of the arms of the County Council. Its leonine part is red like that of the lion in the County arms and those of certain families connected with local history. Each has a cable round the neck from which hangs a Tau cross, resembling the letter T for Torbay and resembling in sound, when anglicized, the syllable 'Tor'."

"Motto 'SALUS ET FELICITAS': ‘Health and happiness.’ Granted 12 March 1968 to the Torbay CBC.
http://torbay.ca/?Content=Torbay/Town_Crest

The arms of Torbay (England) were granted on 12 May 1968
http://www.ngw.nl/int/gbr/t/torbay.htm - Heraldry of the World website

Ivan Sache, 12 August 2012