August 16, 1999

To:Administration Committee

From:Novina Wong, City Clerk

Subject:Design for the official flag of Toronto

Purpose:

To approve a design for the official flag of Toronto.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The cost of organizing the design submissions have been absorbed within the existing Protocol budget. The cost of implementation of the new flag, once approved by Council, will be borne by individual Departments as part of the operating budget process.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

1.the Administration Committee recommend to Council a design for the official flag of Toronto from the four designs submitted;

2.City Purchasing and Materials Management Division be instructed to source a supplier for the official flag in order that all City Departments, Agencies, Boards and Commissions receive the benefits of consistent quality and best possible price through the bulk purchasing of the flag;

3.the appropriate City of Toronto officials be authorized to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Council Reference/Background/History:

City Council on February 2, 3 and 4, 1999, amended Clause 4 in Report No. 2 of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, by striking out Recommendation No. (1) of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

"(1)that Council endorse an open competition among professional designers of the City of Toronto and invite the submission of designs for the new official flag of the City of Toronto by May 1, 1999, to the City Clerk's Protocol Office; and that Protocol and Communications staff be requested to:

(a)review the submissions and forward them to the Chairs of the Community Councils for further review and recommendation of several design options to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, using a process similar to that used for the selection of the City logo and Coat of Arms; and the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee be requested to develop a short-list of design options and submit recommendations thereon to Council for its meeting to be held on June 9, 1999; and

(b)implement a method whereby Toronto school children are included in the final selection of the flag design".)

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

As a result of Council's direction, an ad was placed in the Toronto Star inviting graphics designers in Toronto to submit a design for the official flag. Design submissions were due April 30, 1999. One hundred and fifty three individuals submitted flag designs for consideration. The designs were reviewed by Mr. Albert Ng, Founding President and current Director of the Association of Registered Designers of Ontario, and Mr. Rene Schoepflin, Principal of Schoepflin and Associates using the published design criteria. Eleven designs were selected and tested on three focus groups.

The focus groups were comprised of a mix of residents of the City of Toronto. One group was comprised of children in Grades 5 and 6 representing the public and separate school districts, male and female and of diverse racial backgrounds. The second focus group was made up of Grade 10 and 11 students, again representing public and separate school students, male and female and of diverse racial backgrounds. The third were adults, with a variety of occupations, a broad cross section of ages and a mix of genders. There was a unanimous choice of all three focus groups, design W.

The designer of the preferred design described her submission in the following way: "The central image is a graphic T. The number one rises out of the graphic T, and the central graphic is reminiscent of the landmark CN Tower. The bird silhouettes on both sides of the graphic represents the six regions that are joining together to form the new City of Toronto. The flocking birds flying towards the cityscape are symbolic of the many cultures and regions that come together in the new City. The line strokes that frame the centre T shape form a Toronto cityscape, with the Old City Hall on left. The wave stroke at the base of the graphic symbolizes water and its geographic and historical significance to Toronto."

The focus groups were not shown the above description of the preferred design, however their comments capture the essence of the design. "It shows that Toronto has great buildings and a great environment", (grade 5/6 student). "Represents the waterfront, buildings, dove symbolizes peace/safety", (grade 10/11 student). "Emphasises both the natural and urban elements. Colours both bold and calm." (Adult focus group member.)

A meeting of the Community Council Chairs and the Deputy Mayor was held on July 28, 1999 to review the preferred designs of the focus groups. None of the designs were acceptable to the Members present at the meeting. Additional designs were requested from staff that included the City's logo. Another meeting of the Community Council Chairs and the Deputy Mayor was held on July 29th to review the additional designs. Those in attendance agreed that four designs would be forwarded to Administration Committee. It was suggested that the design chosen by the focus group be submitted in another colour combination. As a result, two of the designs include the logo of the City of Toronto and the other two are versions of the preferred design in different colour combinations.

The principles that guide the designing of a flag are included as Appendix A. The key principles are that it be simple, reproducible by children, reversible and recognizable when flying at distance. The design of a flag is usually for the long term whereas a corporate logo is often refined or redesigned every 5 - 10 years. If the corporate logo is used on the flag it is possible that the design of the flag will need to be changed every 5 - 10 years as changes are made to the corporate logo. Council should be aware of these limitations if a design based on the City logo is selected.

Once the design for the flag is determined, a single corporate supplier for the official City flag should be determined by the Finance Department, Purchasing and Materials Management Division through a competitive bidding process. This would give the City's Departments, Agencies, Boards and Commissions the benefits of bulk purchasing - consistent quality and lowest price. All Departments, Agencies, Board and Commissions should be instructed to use the corporate supplier for flags. The City would acquire all rights and title to the design.

Conclusions:

As directed by Council, an open competition among professional designers for the official City of Toronto flag was conducted. Eleven designs were selected and tested on three focus groups. The results of the qualitative research of a focus group should be treated as advice on the preferred design rather than a statistically accurate representation of the whole population. Students comprised the majority of participants in the focus groups which was the direction from Council.

A flag is an important and lasting symbol of a city. It will be reproduced in a variety of sizes and treatments. It should be simple, distinctive and easily recognizable.

Contact Name:

Daphne Gaby Donaldson

Chief of Protocol392-4273

Novina Wong

City Clerk

Appendix A - Internationally recognized flag design principles

Simplicity

• The design should be kept simple.

• A child should be able to draw the design and know what it represents.

Symmetry and Balance

• If a symbol is present it must be either full size in the middle of the flag or at the top left corner in a smaller size.

Recognition

• Flags have to be recognized flying in the wind from a distance.

Practicality

• A flag has two sides. Designs or graphics which appear in reverse on the opposite side of a printed flag are generally inappropriate.

• Colours or shades that are difficult to reproduce in fabric or in printed form should be avoided. Colours which stand out from a distance and are readily recognizable against the sky and sea are preferable.

Understandability

• Good flags have a meaning, the choice of colours and/or the things that are placed in it must be on purpose. They have to tell a story, present hopes or history.