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Cochrane, Alberta (Canada)

Rocky View County

image by Ivan Sache, 29 April 2017

Description of the flag
Previous flag

See also:

Description of the flag

The Town of Cochrane changed its flag. I think it happened last year (2009) when the new logo was introduced. The new flag shows a logo on a white background. The logo consists of a rider on a horse faced right, and "cochrane / HOW THE WEST IS NOW" below. Photo of it can be seen here: http://www.cochraneeagle.com/2010/09/firefighters-to-build-homes-in-haiti

The Town:
"Cochrane is a town in the Canadian province of Alberta. The town is located 18 km west of the Calgary city limits along Highway 1A. With a population of 15,424 (2009), Cochrane is the second largest town in Alberta and one of the fastest growing communities in Canada. It is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area (1,107,200 in 2006) and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP). The town is surrounded by Rocky View County." - from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochrane,_Alberta

Official website: http://www.cochrane.ca/municipal/toc/webcms.nsf/0/955252F10CE6EC0187257610006AFC69?opendocument
Valentin Poposki, 4 October 2010

The logo represents the Men of Vision sculpture, the town's landmark.

Commissioned by Alberta Culture between 1976-77, and after scouring Alberta looking at more than 30 different sculptors, the final decision on who would etch out a place for themselves in the Cochrane history books landed on the shoulders of Malcolm James MacKenzie, or “Mac” as he was known in the ranching community. MacKenzie lived in Cochrane and Banff throughout his life. The Cochrane Ranch Historic site was named a protected historic plot of land in 1977 by Alberta Culture and the Men of Vision statue was completed and placed in its final resting place atop the Ranch hill overlooking the community May 21, 1979.

The statue's journey from conception to completion took roughly three years according to records from Alberta Culture, including a transatlantic journey after departing its birthplace at one of the most prolific bronze foundries in all of England. MacKenzie's original creation, a three-foot-tall wax maquette (scale model), was cast in plaster and flown across the Atlantic to the Morris Singer Foundry, originally located in Frome, England, and currently located between Basingstoke and Alton. Morris Singer also created the famous lions that guard Trafalgar Square in London.
http://www.cochraneeagle.com/Men-of-Vision-celebrating-35th-20140522 - Cochrane Eagle, 22 May 2014

In 1978, when the iconic statue, Men of Vision was unveiled, there were more people in attendance than the entire population of Cochrane. At the time the population of Cochrane was 1,200 people and the event was very big deal. Unfortunately, 35 years later, only 50 to 60 people, mainly friends and family of Judy MacKenzie and Wendy Hawes, were in attendance as they unveiled and honoured the statue on Aug. 3. Malcolm Mac MacKenzie was the artist who made the Men of Vision and throughout the years rumours have circulated that MacKenzie made it to look like Senator Matthew Cochrane or other local cowboys. “He purposely did not make it to look like anybody,” said Judy MacKenzie, widow of the artist. “He wanted it generic so no one could claim there was a likeness. He was tickled to death when people came to him and said that it looked like their uncle or their grandfather, which is what he wanted. A lot of people have claimed that it is a
likeness of Senator Cochrane or Clarence Copithorne, but it isn’t. It could be anybody.” Just like 35 years ago, a rider on a horse pulled the rope to unveil the bronze statue. Don Edge unveiled the statue in 1978, and Judy MacKenzie and Wendy Hawes, Clarence Copithorne’s daughter, pulled the rope while mounted on horses to reveal the statue this past Sunday.
http://www.cochranetimes.com/2014/08/07/reliving-unveiling-of-men-of-vision - Cochrane Times, 7 August 2014

The municipality appears to use now a modified version of the logo, much more faithful to the monument.
https://www.cochrane.ca/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=320 - Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2017

Previous flag

image by Arnaud Leroy, 17 April 2006
Source: Town of Cochrane