The coat of arms of the University of Toronto is the primary emblem of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institu ...

, which is the largest university in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. It is currently used in several different contexts by the University and can be seen on its own, on the University

banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

, as part of the heraldic achievement of the University, or featured in the logos of numerous University divisions, as well as the logo of the University as a whole. Despite its varied usage, modification of the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...

is extremely rare, as its use is strictly controlled by the University's Office of International, Governmental, and Institutional Relations. Several University divisions, notably the

college A college ( Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

s, have their own emblems, and they do not regularly use the University coat of arms. The

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mo ...

, which is not itself part of the arms but of the overall heraldic achievement, is ''velut arbor aevo'',

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

for "may it grow as a tree through the ages". This phrase originates from

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ...

's ''

Odes Odes may refer to: *The plural of ode, a type of poem * ''Odes'' (Horace), a collection of poems by the Roman author Horace, circa 23 BCE * Odes of Solomon, a pseudepigraphic book of the Bible * Book of Odes (Bible), a Deuterocanonical book of ...

'', book I, ode 12, line 45: ''crescit occulto velut arbor ævo fama Marcelli'' ("the fame of Marcellus grows like a tree over time unseen").

Blazon

The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visua ...

of the University coat of arms is as follows: The armorial bearings of the University are blazoned by the

Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority i ...

as follows: * Arms: Azure two open books above a beaver statant proper, on a chief Argent the Royal Crown proper * Crest: An oak tree Or leaved Vert fructed Or * Motto: VELUT ARBOR ӔVO (Latin for "As a tree, over time")

History

The origins of the coat of arms are obscure. The earliest reference to the device is an 1857 recommendation that the senate of the University adopt the coat of arms, which was accepted. From that point on, the general design has remained largely unchanged. There have been minor alterations, such as the loss of the original

supporters In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the coro ...

(

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the R ...

and Victoria) and the transformation of the beaver from an aggressive to a more benign charge over time. The latter was described by University graphic designer Caz Zyvatkauskas in 2000 as the "emasculation of the U of T beaver". In 1917, owing to a lack of uniformity among the coats of arms on campus due to decades of lax regulation, the board of governors petitioned the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...

to create an official description of the University coat of arms. The result was the current blazon, quoted in the preceding section. The arms of

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

were completed at the same time. Both arms cost the University a combined £89, six shillings. It was at this time that the crest of the University, which was originally a

maple tree ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since htt ...

, became an

oak tree An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...

. The armorial bearings of the University of Toronto were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on May 20, 2016.

Associated emblems

The University of Toronto contains many divisions, some of which use emblems distinct from those of the University. Some University divisions were founded as independent institutions and were later absorbed into the University. This, as well as the different aesthetics of those eras during which the emblems were designed, accounts for the difference in styles used by each institution.

References

{{Academic heraldry

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

University of Toronto