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Belleville, Ontario (Canada)

Last modified: 2020-06-13 by rob raeside
Keywords: belleville | ontario |
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Flag of Belleville, Ontario (Canada) 1:2 image by Eugene Ipavec
Source: Canadian City Flags, Raven 18

See also:


Belleville

Belleville (Canada 2006 Census population 48,821, census agglomeration population 91,518) is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern (Southeastern) Ontario. It is the seat of Hastings County and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region." - from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belleville,_Ontario
Official website: http://www.city.belleville.on.ca/Pages/default.aspx
Valentin Poposki, 29 January 2010


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 flag of the City of Belleville is a horizontal bicolour of golden yellow over red. In the upper field is a closed book in blue with black details and yellow pages, flanked on either side by locomotives displayed on rails and viewed head-on. Both the chassis and smokestack are black, the grille/skirt and upper headlight housing are red, and the three headlights, arranged one over two, are golden yellow. In the lower field is an inverted “V” shape bearing three wavy stripes of blue on white. Below it and to either side are bells in golden yellow with black details, depicted as if viewed from below at a 45-degree angle, with clappers exposed. The bell in the centre is approximately one-third larger than the others. As a group, the symbols form the shape of a shield. Above the symbols is City of and below is Belleville, all in a Gothic font in blue, edged in black. These charges are set slightly toward the hoist.
Doreen Braverman, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Symbolism

The flag elements come from the city’s coat of arms. The bells play on the city’s name, which derives from Anna Bella Gore (wife of Lieutenant-Governor Francis Gore); they also honour prominent pioneer merchant and teacher William Bell. They also symbolize the rich musical and artistic heritage of the city, and its citizens’ sense of humour (belle actually means “beautiful” in French). The Grand Trunk locomotives (circa 1877) recall Belleville’s historic role as an important railway junction after the 1855 completion of the Grand Trunk Railway (a predecessor to the Canadian National Railway), and transportation in general. The waves represent the Moira River and the Bay of Quinte (on Lake Ontario), on which Belleville is located, and the power generated by the Moira for the earliest industries. The book symbolizes the religious, educational, and literary achievements of the citizens and the local schools and colleges.
Doreen Braverman, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Selection

Following the city’s centennial celebrations in 1978, the Centennial Committee and the city council applied for a coat of arms. A committee of citizens suggested suitable subjects for the design. The arms of Belleville were granted by the English College of Arms on 28 September 1979. On 17 January 1983, Mayor George A. Zegouras signed Bylaw #11246 which specified the flag of the corporation of the City of Belleville shall be a flag on a field of gold and red to match the Shield of the Armorial Bearings and containing the said shield in the centre.
Doreen Braverman, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

Designer

Unknown.
Doreen Braverman, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

More about the flag

The flag is authorized to be flown on all civic buildings, including schools, but only the mayor may fly the flag on a vehicle. The flag and banner may not be used, reproduced, or offered for sale by any person, firm, corporation, or association without permission by resolution from the city council, subject to a penalty of up to $300.
Doreen Braverman, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

A photo, showing this flag in use by city officials, is displayed in the official city website; please note the unreadable obverse [http://belleville.ca/images/made/images/uploads/2673/_mgw0225r_800_534_60.jpg].
António Martins-Tuválkin, 10 June 2016


Coat of Arms Flag

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

A separate banner displaying the city’s coat of arms may also be used at official functions.
Doreen Braverman, Canadian City Flags, Raven 18, 2011

The city uses also an unrelated logo, featuring a sailboat and the city’s skyline, all in blue and green on white; apparently not used on flags but featuring two flags: The boat has a green triangular pennant at its peak and the clock tower shows the national flag, but rendered in blue on white due to chromatic constrains of the logo’s design — un unfortunate decision, considering that the such design has apparently a specific meaning. Here are several close variants of this logo:
http://www.belleville.ca/themes/site_themes/cob/img/cob-logo-round.png
http://quintecareerfair.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/COB.jpg
http://www.kaspersky.co.in/images/logo-belleville41-104390.png
http://secure.youthscience.ca/sfiab/quinte/data/userfiles/image/City%20of%20Belleville%20Logo.gif
António Martins-Tuválkin, 10 June 2016