ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Coat of arms of Ontario

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen a picture of a shield with different pictures and colors? That's called a coat of arms!

The coat of arms of Ontario is like a special picture that represents the province of Ontario in Canada. It has lots of things on it that are important to Ontario and its history.

In the middle of the shield, there's a picture of three gold maple leaves, which is the symbol of Canada. To the left of that, there's a picture of a green oak tree, which represents Ontario's forests and nature. To the right, there's a picture of a moose, which is an animal that lives in Ontario.

At the top of the shield, there's a picture of a bear, which was an important animal to the First Nations people who lived in Ontario before anyone else. Above the bear, there's also a banner that says "Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet", which means, "Loyal she began, loyal she remains" in Latin.

Around the outside of the shield, there's a red band with symbols on it. These symbols represent different parts of Ontario's history and people. For example, there's a picture of an anchor, which represents Ontario's connection to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. There's also a picture of a trillium, which is a flower that's famous in Ontario.

So the coat of arms of Ontario is like a special picture that tells us about all the things that make Ontario special and important. It's like a badge or a symbol that we can use to recognize the province and show our respect for it!