Western University

Jul 28

The institutional flag of Western University - also known as the University of Western Ontario - is a powerful and cohesive visual symbol, capturing the school’s identity through a rich heritage of colour and heraldic imagery. Emerging in tandem with Western's rebranding efforts in 2012, the flag consolidates purple and white - Western’s official university colours - into a design that is both bold and meaningful.

At its core, the flag is a purple banner with the university’s shield in white centered prominently. The choice of purple is deeply rooted in Western’s longstanding tradition: the university has long identified with “Western Purple.” This visual palette ensures that the university's flag stands out on campus, in ceremonies, and at events - signaling unity, pride, and recognition.

The shield rendered in white comprises multiple heraldic elements drawn from Western's official coat of arms, granted in 2014: a saltire (diagonal cross) design of purple and white, featuring a rising sun on a gold chief, an open book, a demi-stag and crowned double‑tailed lion in blue roundels, and a maple leaf—all emblematic of learning, local heritage, and national identity. Each device carries symbolism: the rising sun represents the aspirations of graduates; the open book stands for education and scholarship; the stag connects to the city of London, Ontario; the lion honours an early benefactor; and the maple leaf represents Canada itself.

Although the flag is essentially a stylized logo on a coloured background, it serves multiple institutional purposes. It is flown at university events, alongside national and provincial flags, and at convocation ceremonies, where it reinforces school pride and continuity. Inside Convocation Hall, banners (gonfalons) bearing the coat of arms or faculty colours add to the ceremony’s pageantry, underscoring Western’s civic and academic traditions.

Developed as part of Western’s modern visual engineering—the 2012 rebranding that unified various units under a consistent identity—the flag epitomizes the university leadership’s goal to project a cohesive, globally recognizable brand while preserving institutional history. Its appearance today on campus speaks both to continuity—with university colours unchanged—and renewal—adopting a shield logo drawn from Western’s arms and refined in design.

In everyday life around campus, the flag is visible at administrative buildings, athletic events, alumni gatherings, and official photographs. For many members of the Western community—students, faculty, staff, and alumni alike—the flag symbolizes connection to the institution and its values: Truth and Utility, as encapsulated in the Latin motto Veritas et Utilitas.