The flag of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was originally designed in 1974 by Renato De Santis, a 21-year-old graphic design student at George Brown College.[1] The design was the winner of a 1974 competition held by the City of Toronto Flag Design Committee.[2] The previous flag had consisted of the city's coat of arms on a white and blue background, which was considered to be overly simplistic by then mayor William Dennison.[2][1]
When several municipalities in the Toronto area were in the process of amalgamating, the Toronto City Council launched a competition in 1997 for new designs from the public, but the council did not approve any of the public submissions.[2] During the review process, De Santis suggested minor modifications to his original 1974 flag design. This revised version beat out a design recommended by then councillor Brad Duguid in a November 1999 council vote to become the current flag.[2]
The flag displays the twin towers of the Toronto City Hall on a blue background, with the red maple leaf of the flag of Canada at its base, representing the Council Chamber at the base of the towers.[2] The shape of the space above and between the towers suggests the letter 'T', the city's initial.
From 1954 to 1998 (pre-amalgamation), the old city of Toronto and surrounding municipalities formed an upper tier level of municipal government known as Metropolitan Toronto. During this time, it had its own flag, which consisted of the region's six-ringed emblem on the left side, centred vertically on a blue and green background.
