Alberta may no longer be known as “Wild Rose Country” — at least on its licence plates.
The provincial government is looking to change the slogan and design of its plates, with Albertans being asked to vote over the next three weeks on eight possible options.
The new slogan, chosen by the government, is “Strong and Free.”
It’s a phrase featured in Latin on Alberta’s coat of arms as the provincial motto, but has also been used by the governing United Conservative Party in past campaigns and promotional material.
It’s also the name of the UCP’s theme song released six years ago by composer Alec Harrison and songwriter Julianna Hindemith.
Julianna Hindemith · UCP Theme Song – Strong and Free – Alec Harrison and Julianna Hindemith
Premier Danielle Smith says there’s nothing political about the choice.
She says the phrase serves as a nod to the national anthem and illustrates “Alberta’s position as a strong and sovereign province within a united Canada.”
The design selections include photographic backdrops of Alberta monuments and landscapes, as well as plate numbers in blue in addition to the currently used red.
The move comes a decade after a different attempt to redesign Alberta’s licence plates, that was in the end scrapped.
In 2014, the Alberta government tried to roll out redesigned plates — with three designs for the public to vote on — containing a new Alberta logo, a push to the government’s website, new safety features, and no “Wild Rose Country” slogan.
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The proposed plates also had new safety features and new background art.
The survey page for the designs received more than 500,000 page views, and the survey received more than 100,000 votes.
The official opposition of the day, the Wildrose Party that was led by Smith, expressed opposition to the redesign in a tweet.
That fall, premier Jim Prentice cancelled the previously-announced licence plate redesign, saying it would have cost $15 million and the funds would have been better spent on schools and other priorities of Albertans.
Prentice’s office said $800 was spent on the survey and announcement of the new designs, while the previous premier Alison Redford’s office spent $9,745 in 2013 for “work on an alternative design that was not carried forward.”
The government of the day said the existing design would remain with updated safety features.
— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News
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