Toronto borough's coat of arms on the way out after being declared offensive

The coat of arms representing Etobicoke has been confirmed as offensive and in need of replacement by officials after years of complaints about its subject matter.

The design, created in the late '70s when Etobicoke was its own city, depicts an Indigenous man holding a bow and explorer Étienne Brûlé holding a gun, each of them with one hand on an escutcheon bearing an alder tree.

Under the former figure, it reads "tradition," while under the latter, "progress" — something that a new report from the City says perpetuates a harmful and anachronistic stereotype.

#Etobicoke has a completely screwed up coat of arms. The indigenous person has a bow “tradition” but the white guy has a gun “progress”. pic.twitter.com/fZIslsWgWm

— Witless Protection (@petergarber5) April 26, 2023

The recent motion to remove the symbol, about which there are formal complaints dating back to at least 2018, notes that the image has appeared in offices, on business cards, on notices, on buildings, and more over the decades, though it has not held any legal meaning since 1998 when Etobicoke amalgamated with Toronto.

"Concerns regarding the continued display of the Coat of Arms of the former City of Etobicoke in the Etobicoke Civic Centre, a City of Toronto facility... relate to the use of stereotypical and offensive Indigenous imagery and language," the document reads.

"The City has listened to these concerns and in consultation with the Human Rights Office and Indigenous Affairs Office has determined that the Coat of Arms does not reflect its values of reconciliation and inclusion."

Wow!

— Rusty Nails (@cmasters13) June 26, 2018

The next step will be to remove the crest, which is still hung in two rooms in the Etobicoke Civic Centre. Councillors are suggesting it be preserved and perhaps displayed with necessary context and explanation.

But, some residents feel that the emblem should stay — like Etobicoke Centre Councillor Stephen Holyday, who said in a committee meeting Tuesday that it is "trying to honour some of the history of the land" and that multiple other coats of arms nationwide likewise depict Indigenous people.