Coat of Arms
In 1910, City Council authorized the placing of an advertisement calling for the submission of designs conveying in heraldic language the history of this old Hudson's Bay Trading Post, which by then had grown to be a city of no small importance, and offering a financial reward to the successful competitor.
One of three designs submitted by Mr. W. Miller Higgs of Walhacin was selected by a committee consisting of the Reverend Akehurst, F.J. Fulton, and Judge Swanson. The opinion of an expert in heraldic design, Canon Beanlands of England was obtained and following a few minor modifications by this gentleman, the Coat of Arms and Crest designed by Mr. Miller Higgs was adopted by Council in 1911.
The elements of the Coat of Arms represent the history and geography of the City of Kamloops. The shield is of ermine fur which represents the fur trade carried on between the white men and the Indians in the early days. At the top of the shield are the arms of the Hudson's Bay Company. A silver shield charged with a red cross between four beavers - denoting that Kamloops was an old trading post of that company.
In the "honor point" of the shield, is a black bull's head which conveys the fact that Kamloops was the centre of the B.C. cattle trade. The shield is "charged" with what is known in heraldry as a "pallium" which conveys the meaning of the Indian word Kamloops - "the meeting of the rivers" for it is in Kamloops that the North and South Thompson Rivers meet and from this central point continue on towards the open sea as one. This is represented in wavy lines, colored azure blue, containing three mountain trout, all swimming upstream to indicate the flow of the waters.
The crest is topped by a mural crown, surmounted by an engine wheel from the hub of either side is mounted a silver wing. This is designed to represent (1) Civic Authority, (2) An important junctional point of the railways, airways and highways, and (3) Progress denoted by the wings.
The City's Motto SALUS ET OPUS means HEALTH AND WEALTH.
THE CITY FLOWER IS THE MARIGOLD