I’ve always wanted to be born in another decade. So when I heard that the iconic “Wild Rose Country” license plates, that have been a consistent sight throughout Alberta since the 80’s, will be replaced by a new design, of course I was sad.
Alberta plates have gone through a plethora of colours and makes, but the current look has stayed consistent for more than forty years. In my avid trips to the thrift store, I shop for things phased out by new ways of living and have often come across old license plates — retired pieces of history that were once thought to last forever. The provincial plates are a constant in a world of evolving motor vehicles and modes of transportation. Quite frankly, the announcement by the provincial government takes me by surprise. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
If I were to accept this bypass of historical routine, there are a few concerns I have for this new design. I dislike the change in slogan. The new license plates will read “Strong and Free” instead of the popular nickname for the province, “Wild Rose Country.”
The old slogan was meaningful because it paid tribute to Alberta’s official floral emblem, a plant used by Indigenous peoples in traditional medicine and ceremony. The wild rose is also a strong and resilient flower, capable of braving the flurry of changing conditions that our province is known for.
This strength has translated into a metaphor to represent Albertans, who in my opinion, have an immense amount of perseverance and grit that makes us stand out as leaders and hard workers. The wild rose iconography will still remain on the plate with a slightly different look, but it will never be the same to me without the original slogan.
The good news? At least part of the choice was in the hands of Albertans themselves. The new license plate design was chosen based on the results of an online poll. The selection was reduced to two designs which included the “Ranching Cowboys with Pumpjack” and “Moraine Lake” designs.
My choice centres on representation. I can’t pick the slogan, but when I imagine what best represents our province, the prairies come to mind. I don’t believe that the Canadian Rockies capture enough of the essence of Alberta. The beautiful mountainscape is only a small portion of the totality of the province, encompassing only 7.4 percent of the province’s land. As an Albertan who was born and raised in the central prairies, my allegiance lies with a design that offers a broader scope — both in visuals and slogan.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the Nugget’s Nov. 12 print issue. Read the full issue online here.
