This policy takes effect on October 1, 1990.
The objectives of the Federal Identity
Program (FIP) are:
- to enable the public to recognize clearly federal activities
by means of consistent identification;
- to improve service to the public by facilitating access to
federal programs and services;
- to project equality of status of the two official languages
consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and
the Official Languages Act;
- to ensure effective management of the federal identity
consistent with government-wide priorities, and to achieve
savings through standardization;
- to promote good management practices in the field of
corporate identity and information design.
Federal institutions, programs, services and
contributions shall be identified in accordance with corporate
identity standards for the Government of Canada.
The equality of status of the two official
languages shall be projected when applying these corporate
identity standards.
This policy applies to all institutions named in
Schedules I, II, and III to the Financial Administration
Act and all branches designated as departments for purposes
of the Act, unless the institution has been specifically exempted
from FIP. (See Appendix B, Application schedules, for the
institutions subject to FIP policy and those that are exempt.
(The appendix also contains exemption criteria.)
1) Corporate management
Institutions must:
- manage their corporate identity within the framework of the
policy and in accordance with the design standards of FIP;
and
- identify their activities clearly and consistently in
accordance with their communications strategy.
2) Corporate symbols
The consistent application of corporate symbols
helps to project the Government of Canada as a coherent, unified
administration. One of two corporate symbols must be used in the
signature that identifies an individual or an institution: the
Coat of Arms or the flag symbol.
The "Canada" wordmark, which is the global
corporate symbol of the government, must be used in association
with the appropriate signature.
3) Corporate signatures
Corporate signatures, which consist of a symbol
and a bilingual title, are established as follows:
- The Coat of Arms must be used to identify: ministers and
their offices; parliamentary secretaries; institutions whose
heads report directly to Parliament; as well as institutions with
quasi-judicial functions (their use of the Coat of Arms instead
of the flag symbol requires authorization by the Minister
responsible and the agreement of the President of the Treasury
Board).
- The flag symbol must be used to identify all departments,
agencies, corporations, commissions, boards, councils, as well as
any other federal body and activity (unless they are authorized
to use the Coat of Arms).
The flag symbol, which replaced the bar and maple
leaf symbol in 1987, is being implemented gradually. Institutions
that have not yet completed the conversion must implement the
flag symbol when:
- designing or acquiring a new item;
- current stocks of material are replenished or replaced;
or
- existing material or equipment is refurbished.
4) Adoption and use of titles
Institutions must adopt an approved title
(referred to as applied title) for their corporate signature, and
use this title consistently when identifying the institution,
except when they are required to use the legal title. The
approved titles are listed in Appendix C, Titles of federal
organizations.
5) Creation of titles
Institutions must apply certain criteria when
establishing a new applied title or modifying an existing one,
and register the title by seeking the agreement of both the
minister responsible and the President of the Treasury Board. The
criteria for creating an applied title include that it must:
- incorporate the word Canada or appear with the words
Government of Canada, where appropriate;
- have versions in each official language;
- conform to acceptable linguistic usage in each official
language; and
- not contain an acronym, abbreviation or ampersand
(&).
6) Fields of application
Institutions must ensure that an appropriate
corporate signature and the "Canada" wordmark are applied
wherever an activity of the federal government is to be made
known in Canada and abroad. This means the identification of
products, material, equipment and real property. The fields of
application include: stationery, forms, motor vehicles, signage,
advertising, published material, audio-visual productions,
expositions and personnel identification.
Institutions must clearly identify real property
occupied by organizational units that provide services directly
to the public, and ensure that the signs make it easier to find
these services.
For programs that the Government of Canada
undertakes with another level of government or a private
institution, corporate identity requirements are as follows:
- it is the responsibility of the appropriate minister to
determine whether or not a particular shared-cost program
requires federal identity in its publicity; and
- as and when directed by the minister, a federal institution
entering into a contract or agreement with another level of
government or a private institution must include provisions in
the contract that set out the terms for joint identification of
the sponsors.
7) Design standards
Key applications of FIP are subject to design
standards. Institutions must conform to these technical standards
when implementing this policy. They are set out in the Federal
Identity Program Manual issued by Treasury Board.
8) Using other symbols
Only the corporate symbols of FIP may be applied
on the following standard applications: letterheads, notepaper,
calling cards, complimentary cards, primary identification signs,
directory boards and operational signs. Any other symbol intended
to be used government-wide is subject to prior approval by the
President of the Treasury Board. Upon approval, it may be used as
appropriate except for the standard applications referred to
above.
9) Official languages
Institutions must:
- present the two official languages with equal prominence,
i.e. in exactly the same colours and with identical style, size,
and weight of type;
- present the official languages in all corporate signatures in
a side by side bilingual format, with the order of the languages
in accordance with the standards in Appendix A; and
- use the mandatory bilingual formats in accordance with the
standards in Appendix A.
The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) will monitor
compliance with this policy through reports available from
central information systems, internal audits and liaison with
institutions. Upon request, institutions will provide
implementation plans or progress reports to the TBS. Internal
audit groups should include in their audit of corporate identity
applications an assessment of the extent of compliance with this
policy and FIP design standards.
This policy is based on Cabinet decisions between
1970 and 1987, and the following acts and policies:
-
- Financial Administration Act
- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Official Languages Act
- Treasury Board Manual, Communications Volume,
Chapter 1, Government Communications.
This policy supersedes Chapter 470, Federal
Identity Program, of the Administrative policy manual.
All enquiries should be directed to institution
headquarters (i.e. the head of communications or the official
languages director and senior managers responsible for the
administration of the official languages program of the
institution concerned).
Enquiries about FIP should be directed to:
Information Management Practices
Administrative Policy Branch
Treasury Board Secretariat.
Enquiries about official languages policies
should be directed to:
Official Languages Branch
Treasury Board Secretariat.
Note: This appendix will be subject to detailed
review after Regulations pursuant to the 1988 Official
Languages Act are issued.
Table of contents
1. Visual equality
2. Order of the official
languages
3. Formats and applications
4. Style and usage
5. Other languages
The Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms provides for the equality of status of English and
French as Canada's official languages, and equal rights and
privileges as to their use in all the institutions of the
Parliament and Government of Canada. The Official Languages
Act extends the legal framework to ensure respect for their
equality. To implement these statutory requirements, the
following policy has been adopted.
1. Visual equality
It is the policy of the government to project
itself as an institution in which English and French enjoy equal
status in all respects. Therefore, the two official languages
shall be presented with equal prominence, i.e. in exactly the
same colours and with identical style, size and weight of
type.
To project visual equality, the official
languages shall appear in a side by side bilingual format in all
signatures.
2. Order of the official
languages
The order of the official languages in the
signature is determined by the type of application and by certain
factors, such as location, language of the medium, or
distribution. These are set out in articles 2.1 to 2.4.
2.1 Items for which the location determines
the order of the official languages in the signature
Within Canada, the order of the official
languages in the signature on stationery is determined by the
official language of the majority of the population of the
province or territory in which the issuing federal office is
located. Thus, French appears to the left in Quebec, and English
to the left in the other provinces and the territories. However,
each Minister may decide whether English should be placed to the
left of French or vice versa in the signature on ministerial
stationery. The term "stationery" includes items such as
letterheads, envelopes, notepaper, complimentary slips and cards,
and calling cards (see also article 2.3).
Within Canada, when the item is physically
located or based in a province or territory (e.g. a sign or a
vehicle) or is intended for use solely in, or pertains
principally to, that province or territory, the official language
of the majority of the population in the province or territory
shall be placed to the left of the other official language.
Canadian offices located abroad shall use both
English and French in their signature. Of these, the language
placed to the left shall correspond to the one used by the
Secretariat of the United Nations in communicating with the
country concerned.
2.2 Items for which the language of the
medium determines the order of the official languages in the
signature
When a signature is used in a unilingual English
or French medium (e.g. a newspaper or separate but equal
unilingual versions of government publications printed in both
official languages), the official language of the medium
determines the order of precedence of the official languages in
the signature. Thus, French will appear to the left of English in
the signature in unilingual French media and English to the left
of French in unilingual English media.
2.3 Items for which the individual
determines the order of the official languages in the
signature
Such items include calling cards, complimentary
slips and cards. The person whose name is to be printed on these
items may decide on the order in which the official languages
will appear in the signature and hence in the text.
2.4 Order of the official languages on
items for national use, when the languages are presented side by
side
As a general rule, the order of the official
languages in the signature and text shall be English to the left
of French on material intended for national use and distribution.
Notwithstanding this general rule, material for national use and
distribution may also be produced in two versions (i.e.
English/French and French/English) when the volume or range of
distribution would warrant the printing of two versions.
Material for national use and distribution may
also be produced with French to the left of English when the
nature of the material or the specific public for which it is
intended would make the use of this format more appropriate.
3. Formats and
applications
Set out here are the conditions under which the
two official languages shall be used, either together or
separately, in the various applications of the FIP. In general,
one of two methods is used:
- side by side (or recto-verso) bilingual format; or
- separate versions in each language.
The rules on the use of these formats, which
apply regardless of location in Canada, are set out below.
3.1 Side by side format
mandatory
Items listed below shall be produced by
presenting both official languages in a side by side
format (except where noted):
- stationery;
- calling cards (individuals have the option of using a side by
side or recto-verso format);
- primary identification signs;
- directory boards;
- common-use and operational signs (an over and under format is
permitted in cases where horizontal space is inadequate);
- project signs;
- commemorative plaques (the side by side format applies to all
plaques produced after March 1982);
- markings that identify motor vehicles, aircraft and
watercraft;
- personnel identification (an over and under format is
permitted in cases where horizontal space is inadequate).
Note: When presenting the two official languages
in an over and under format, the language that would appear to
the left in the side by side format shall appear above the other
language. The order of precedence for the side by side format is
set out in articles 2.1 to 2.4.
3.2 Bilingual format mandatory
Outdoor and transit advertisements shall be
produced by presenting both official languages in a
bilingual format. With respect to the presentation of the two
official languages, it is optional to use the side by side format
or another format. (N.B. See the note under article 3.1.)
Any departure from the bilingual format requires
the approval of the appropriate Minister, following consultation
with the President of the Treasury Board.
3.3 Use of bilingual or separate,
unilingual versions
Items referred to below shall be produced in both
English and French wherever the Official Languages Act
requires federal institutions to provide communications and
services to the public in both official languages. However, a
federal institution has a choice between a bilingual version or
separate but equal versions in each language when producing items
such as forms, brochures, publications, posters, exhibits, and
audio-visual productions.
With the exception of outdoor and transit
advertisements (see article 3.2), the use of separate versions in
each language would normally apply to all other forms of
advertising, i.e. print advertising, paid announcements, and
television and radio advertising.
The need to communicate effectively with the
public, as well as certain requirements under the Official
Languages Act for the use of the media in either language,
will have a bearing on which media are selected for a given
purpose.
Where printed material (e.g. brochures, forms and
publications) is produced in separate but equal unilingual
versions or in a bilingual, recto-verso format, the material
presenting one official language shall state that the same
material is available in the other official language. Therefore,
words such as version française disponible or
français au verso should be displayed, as
applicable.
4. Style and usage
Aside from respecting the visual equality of
English and French, it is also essential to ensure equal
linguistic quality in the usage of the two languages. When
implementing FIP policy, it is important to use either language
according to its own style and usage and not to confuse the
conventions of each. Inaccuracies can be most conspicuous because
the two languages are presented side by side in many applications
of the FIP.
Section 1.2 "Message", of the FIP Manual sets out
certain rules on style and usage as well as other requirements
with respect to the use of building, street and geographical
names. These shall be observed when developing an appropriate
version of a message in either official language.
5. Other languages
There are cases where a language other than
English and French may be required for certain government
communications. Any use of a third language should be consonant
with the communication policy of the federal institution
concerned.
In the corporate signature, no language other
than English and French may be used. When a message needs to be
communicated in another language, the requirements of government
policy with respect to the use of the official languages shall
nevertheless be met.
Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Institutions identified by the
Coat of Arms
3. Institutions identified by the
flag symbol
4. Institutions not subject to the
Federal Identity Program
5. Exemption criteria
1. Introduction
Listed here are the institutions subject to the
Federal Identity Program (FIP) and those that are exempt or
excluded from it. The lists were compiled from the schedules to
the Financial Administration Act.
For purposes of the FIP, the term "institution"
includes certain organizational entities or programs which have
adopted a corporate signature without the title of the parent
department.
The following schedules are organized according
to the corporate symbol used in the signature of the
institution.
2. Institutions identified by the
Coat of Arms
Appeal
Board, Hazardous Materials Information Review Act
Canadian
International Trade Tribunal
Civil
Aviation Tribunal of Canada
Competition Tribunal
Copyright
Board Canada
External
Affairs and International Trade Canada (note 1)
Human
Rights Tribunal
National
Energy Board
National
Transportation Agency of Canada
Office of
the Auditor General of Canada
Office of
the Chief Electoral Officer
Office of
the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs
Office of
the Commissioner of Official Languages
Office of
the Umpire, Unemployment Insurance Act
Office of
the Information and Privacy Commissioners
Patented
Medicine Prices Review Board Canada
Procurement Review Board of Canada
RCMP
External Review Committee
RCMP
Public Complaints Commission
Security
Intelligence Review Committee
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Note 1: Generally identified by the flag
symbol, the department applies the Coat of Arms to stationery for
formal correspondence with other governments and to identify
official premises abroad.
3. Institutions identified by the
flag symbol
Agricultural Stabilization Board
Agriculture Canada
Atlantic
Development Council Canada
Atlantic
Pilotage Authority Canada
Atomic
Energy Control Board
Bureau of
Pensions Advocates Canada
Canada
Centre for Inland Waters
Canada
Communication Group
Canada
Deposit Insurance Corporation
Canada
Employment and Immigration Advisory Council
Canada
Harbour Place Corporation
Canada
Museums Construction Corporation Inc.
Canada
Oil and Gas Lands Administration
Canadian
Coast Guard
Canadian
Dairy Commission
Canadian
Grain Commission
Canadian
International Development Agency
Canadian
Multiculturalism Council
Canadian
Museum of Civilization
Canadian
Museum of Contemporary Photography
Canadian
Museum of Nature
Canadian
Pension Commission
Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Canadian
Security Intelligence Service
Canadian
Space Agency
Canadian
War Museum
Cape
Breton Development Corporation (Government of Canada)
Communications Canada
Consulting and Audit Canada
Consumer
and Corporate Affairs Canada
Contracts
Settlement Board (Supply and Services Canada)
Correctional Investigator Canada, The
Correctional Service Canada
Defence
Construction Canada
Department of Finance Canada
Department of Justice Canada
Department of the Secretary of State of Canada
Emergency
Preparedness Canada
Employment and Immigration Canada
Energy
Supplies Allocation Board
Energy,
Mines and Resources Canada
Environment Canada
External
Affairs and International Trade Canada
Farm
Credit Corporation Canada
Federal
Environmental Assessment Review Office
Federal-Provincial Relations Office (Government of Canada)
Fire
Commissioner of Canada
Fisheries
and Oceans (Government of Canada)
Fisheries
and Oceans Research Advisory Council (Government of Canada)
Fisheries
Prices Support Board Canada
Fitness
and Amateur Sport (Government of Canada)
Foreign
Claims Commission (Government of Canada)
Forestry
Canada
Goods and
Services Tax, Consumer Information Office (Government of
Canada)
Grain
Transportation Agency
Great
Lakes Pilotage Authority Canada
Hazardous
Materials Information Review Commission Canada
Health
and Welfare Canada
Historic
Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Immigration and Refugee Board
Indian
and Northern Affairs Canada
Industry,
Science and Technology Canada
Investment Canada
Labour
Canada
Laurentian Pilotage Authority Canada
Law
Reform Commission of Canada
Livestock
Feed Board of Canada
Medical
Research Council of Canada
Merchant
Seamen Compensation Board Canada
Multiculturalism and Citizenship Canada
National
Advisory Council on Aging (Government of Canada)
National
Advisory Council on Fitness and Amateur Sport
National
Archives of Canada
National
Aviation Museum
National
Battlefields Commission (Government of Canada), The
National
Council of Welfare (Government of Canada)
National
Defence
National
Farm Products Marketing Council
National
Gallery of Canada
National
Library of Canada
National
Museum of Science and Technology
National
Parole Board (Government of Canada)
National
Research Council Canada
Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Northern
Pipeline Agency Canada
Office of
Privatization and Regulatory Affairs of Canada
Office of
the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada
Pacific
Pilotage Authority Canada
Passport
Office
Patent
Appeal Board Canada
Petroleum
Monitoring Agency Canada
Prairie
Farm Rehabilitation Administration (Agriculture Canada)
Privy
Council Office (Government of Canada)
Public
Service Commission of Canada
Public
Works Canada
Queen
Elizabeth II Canadian Research Fund (Government of Canada)
Reference
Canada
Revenue
Canada, Customs and Excise
Revenue
Canada, Taxation
Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund (Government of Canada)
Social
Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Solicitor
General Canada
Statistics Canada
Status of
Women Canada
Statute
Revision Commission Canada
Supply
and Services Canada
Tourism
Canada
Transport
Canada
Treasury
Board of Canada, Secretariat
Treasury
Board of Canada, Comptroller General
Veterans
Affairs Canada
Veterans
Appeal Board Canada
Western
Economic Diversification Canada
4. Institutions not subject to
the Federal Identity Program
Except where noted, the following institutions
are exempt from FIP policy because of Cabinet approval or are
excluded because of their legal status.
Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency
Atomic
Energy of Canada Limited
Bank of
Canada
Canada
Council
Canada
Development Investment Corporation (note 1)
Canada
Labour Relations Board
Canada
Lands Company Limited (note 1)
Canada
Lands Company (Le Vieux-Port de Montréal) Limited (note
1)
Canada
Lands Company (Vieux-Port de Québec) Inc. (note 1)
Canada
Lands Company (Mirabel) Limited
Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canada
Ports Corporation
Canada
Post Corporation
Canadian
Forces
Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian
Centre for Management Development
Canadian
Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
Canadian
Commercial Corporation
Canadian
General Standards Board
Canadian
Human Rights Commission
Canadian
Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat
Canadian
National Railway Company
Canadian
Patents and Development Limited
Canadian
Saltfish Corporation
Canadian
Wheat Board, The
CORCAN
(industrial work program of Correctional Service Canada)
Economic
Council of Canada (note 1)
Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation
Export
Development Corporation
Federal
Business Development Bank
Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
Halifax
Port Corporation
Harbourfront Corporation (note 1)
House of
Commons
International Centre for Ocean Development
Judiciary, The (all courts established by an Act of
Parliament)
Language
Training Canada (component of the Public Service Commission of
Canada)
Marine
Atlantic Inc. (note 1)
Montreal
Port Corporation
National
Arts Centre Corporation
National
Capital Commission
National
Film Board
National
Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
Office of
the Secretary to the Governor General
Petro-Canada
Port of
Quebec Corporation
Prince
Rupert Port Corporation
Public
Service Staff Relations Board
Royal
Canadian Mint
Royal
Canadian Mounted Police
Saint
John Port Corporation
Science
Council of Canada
Senate,
The
Standards
Council of Canada
St.
John's Port Corporation
St.
Lawrence Seaway Authority, The
Vancouver
Port Corporation
VIA Rail
Canada Inc.
Note 1: The status with respect to FIP has
not been clarified.
5. Exemption criteria
The Cabinet has directed that institutions that
meet one or more of the following criteria may be exempted from
FIP policy:
- institutions which are engaged in commercial activity or are
in competition with private enterprise;
- international institutions in which the nature of
international collaboration is such that a Canadian national
symbol would be inappropriate;
- institutions in which another government provides substantial
executive participation (i.e. where there is joint financing and
shared authority);
- institutions in which voluntary organizations or citizens
provide substantial participation and financial contribution
(i.e. a cooperative or a private company in which the federal
government has a financial interest).
A minister may request from the President of the
Treasury Board exemption for an institution that meets these
criteria. If the two ministers are unable to reach agreement, the
minister requesting the exemption may refer the matter to the
Cabinet.
Federal institutions exempted from using
FIP corporate symbols are nevertheless obliged to conform to
those elements of the FIP policy that derive from federal
official languages policies or law.
Table of contents
1. Roles and
responsibilities
2. Corporate management
3. Corporate symbols
4. Corporate signatures
5. Adoption and use of
titles
6. Fields of application
7. Design standards
8. Using other symbols
9. Definitions
1. Roles and
responsibilities
The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) provides
functional leadership for the government's corporate identity,
and is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the
Federal Identity Program (FIP). Each institution manages its own
corporate identity within the framework of the government-wide
policy and standards. Federal institutions are identified as
organizations of the Government of Canada rather than as
separate, independent entities.
The Government Communications Policy (see
Chapter 1) establishes corporate identity management as an
integral part of the communications function. That policy sets
out the deputy head's responsibilities, which include corporate
identity. The senior official designated by the deputy head and
referred to as head of communications assumes responsibility to
manage the institution's corporate identity in accordance with
FIP policy and standards.
2. Corporate
management
Corporate identity is linked to corporate
strategy. Managing it requires a clear understanding of an
institution's corporate structure, its goals, and communications
objectives. Although corporate identity focuses on communications
with the public and delivering government services, it applies
within each institution as well. Its scope depends on the
institution's mandate, the nature of its publics, the operating
requirements, and the degree of decentralization.
Managing involves selecting a name, adopting a
signature, and implementing the corporate identity. The
responsibilities of the corporate identity manager are as
follows:
- to ensure clear and consistent identification of the
institution's activities;
- to ensure corporate identity is applied as an integral part
of the institution's communications strategy;
- to assist in achieving clear and effective visual
communications when applying corporate identity;
- to maintain the quality and integrity of the corporate
identity.
3. Corporate symbols
The government's corporate symbols help to
distinguish the executive arm from the legislature and the
judiciary. The application of these symbols under the FIP is as
follows.
3.1 Coat of Arms
Also referred to as the Arms of Canada, the Coat
of Arms is the identifying symbol of the Parliament of Canada and
all courts established by an act of Parliament.
Regarding FIP policy, the Coat of Arms is
used:
- in signatures that identify ministers, parliamentary
secretaries, and their offices;
- in signatures that identify institutions whose heads report
directly to Parliament;
- in signatures that identify institutions which have a
quasi-judicial function;
- by the Department of External Affairs on stationery for
formal correspondence with other governments and to identify
official premises abroad; and
- by all commissions established under the Inquiries Act.
Government institutions may use the Coat of Arms
for purposes other than identification, e.g. as a design element
on items such as certificates.
3.2 Flag symbol
The flag of Canada, modified slightly for
purposes of the FIP, is referred to as the "flag symbol". When
applied under this policy, the flag symbol appears with a
bilingual title identifying a federal department, agency,
corporation, commission, board, council, other federal body or
activity (unless the organization is authorized to use the Coat
of Arms).
3.2.1 Status of the bar and maple leaf
symbol. Introduced in 1970, this symbol, also referred to
as the "federal emblem", was replaced in 1987 by the flag symbol.
During conversion, both symbols will be in use.
3.3 "Canada" wordmark
The wordmark serves as the global identifier of
the government and is the dominant corporate symbol of FIP. The
wordmark appears always in association with the corporate
signature of a federal institution.
3.3.1 Other uses. Although the use
of the "Canada" wordmark is controlled and generally restricted
to applications under this policy, other uses can include the
following:
- by federal institutions exempted from FIP;
- on special items that leave the control of the government
(e.g. give-aways), provided that such use is selective and does
not seem to alter the wordmark's meaning and status;
- by a company or organization that is not part of the federal
government, provided the federal institution concerned first
consults the TBS before authorizing (in writing) the use of the
wordmark outside the government.
Whether used within or outside government, the
"Canada" wordmark should be used only in a manner that conforms
to good taste and where the standards for its application are
carefully controlled.
3.4 Legal protection
The government's corporate symbols are protected
under the Trade Marks Act. Details regarding their
adoption and use are set out below.
3.4.1 Coat of Arms. Public notice
of the adoption and use of the Arms of Canada as an official mark
used by the Government of Canada for wares and services, was
given under Section 9(1)(n)(iii) of the Trade Marks Act in the
Trade Marks Journal, April 13, 1955. Enquiries should be directed
to the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada.
3.4.2 Flag of Canada. Public notice
about the national flag of Canada was given under Section 9(1)(e)
of the Trade Marks Act in the Trade Marks Journal,
April 14, 1965. Enquiries should be directed to the Department of
the Secretary of State of Canada.
Public notice of the adoption and use of the flag
of Canada with the title "Government of Canada" or the title of a
government institution was given under Section 9(1)(n)(iii) of
the Trade Marks Act in the Trade Marks Journal,
September 30, 1987 and December 23, 1987. Enquiries should be
directed to the TBS.
3.4.3 Federal emblem. Public notice
of the adoption and use of the federal emblem as an official mark
used by the Government of Canada for wares and services, was
given under Section 9(1)(n)(iii) of the Trade Marks Act in the
Trade Marks Journal, April 7, 1976. Enquiries should be directed
to TBS.
3.4.4 "Canada" wordmark. Public
notice of the adoption and use of the "Canada" wordmark as an
official mark used by the Government of Canada, was given under
Section 9(1)(n)(iii) of the Trade Marks Act in the Trade Marks
Journal, August 25, 1982. Enquiries should be directed to
TBS.
4. Corporate
signatures
Government activities are identified by
signatures which consist of an approved bilingual title and
incorporate (as appropriate) the Coat of Arms or the flag symbol.
All corporate signatures are subject to the design standards set
out in the FIP manual.
4.1 "Government of Canada" signature
This universal signature is used to identify
items intended for use throughout the government; activities
involving two or more federal institutions; and facilities
occupied by two or more federal institutions.
4.2 Variants of the corporate
signature
If required, the signature of an institution may
include the title of an individual (i.e. deputy minister,
assistant deputy minister, or positions of equivalent status) or
a service title (i.e. the name of an organizational unit, program
or service).
5. Adoption and use of
titles
This policy requires institutions subject to FIP
to adopt an approved title for use in their corporate signature.
Referred to as applied titles, these names have a dual
purpose: to express the function or nature of the institution to
the public, and to identify it as an institution of the
Government of Canada.
Institutions may also adopt an applied title to
identify an organization, program or service without the name of
the parent institution, e.g. Correctional Service Canada (which
comes within the responsibility of the Solicitor General of
Canada but is not identified with the department). In all cases,
the applied title is subject to the criteria and approvals set
out in the policy.
5.1 Titles for new institutions
The criteria for creating an applied title should
be considered when establishing any new government institution.
Legislation or Orders in Council establishing an institution
should therefore refer to a title that meets the criteria of FIP
policy, thereby eliminating the need to distinguish between legal
and applied titles. Advice on creating titles and using them in
corporate signatures is available from the Administrative Policy
Branch, TBS.
5.2 Criteria for an applied title
The mandatory aspects are set out in policy
requirement 6. In addition, an applied title should:
- be as brief as possible to assist effective
communication;
- begin with a key word that describes, or is associated with,
the institution's function;
- be unambiguous and capable of legal protection; and
- incorporate the preposition of before the word
Canada if this provides euphony.
5.3 Approval process
The adoption of an applied title requires the
agreement of the minister responsible and the President of the
Treasury Board. If the ministers do not agree, the minister
responsible for the institution concerned refers the matter to
the Cabinet.
Upon approval, the applied title and its
abbreviation are registered in the policy. The TBS maintains, and
issues periodically, an updated version of Appendix C, Titles of
federal organizations.
5.4 Use of applied titles
Besides its use in the corporate signature, the
applied title should be used consistently to identify an
institution in all communications, except when the legal title
has to be used.
Applied titles will not replace the legal
titles which may be required for contracts or
federal-provincial agreements. However, even on such documents,
it may be appropriate for the signature to appear on the document
as the principal identifying element. In these cases, the
legal title is normally referred to in the text, while the
applied title appears in the signature.
Applied titles will not replace the legal
titles required on documents for legal proceedings
(e.g. affidavits).
When preparing lists of organizations (e.g.
telephone or building directories), the applied titles should be
used.
5.5 Abbreviation of the applied title
If required, the proposal for a new title should
also include an appropriate abbreviation in each official
language. The criteria for establishing an abbreviation include
that it:
- should be based on the applied title, where feasible;
- may not duplicate an abbreviation (pertaining to the same
language) which had already been registered by the TBS;
- should be based on the initial letters of the title, whenever
possible, or on a syllable of the keyword (in the latter case,
the use of upper and lower case letters is preferred, e.g. Agr,
Fin, or Jus);
- should not consist of more than six letters; and
- should be acceptable to the institution concerned, subject to
the above criteria.
5.6 Use of abbreviations
To ensure consistent communications, the
authorized abbreviations should be used whenever possible.
Exceptions are applications where different abbreviations or
codes are in use and where a changeover to the authorized
abbreviations would not be feasible (e.g. government data
systems, applications requiring an abbreviation consistent with
the legal title).
6. Fields of
application
This policy requires the use of a corporate
signature and the "Canada" wordmark whenever an activity of the
federal government is to be made known in Canada and abroad. The
fields of application depend on an institution's mandate, its
operating requirements, and the nature of its programs and
services. Although primarily concerned with external
communications, the corporate identity applies also to
communications with employees. The fields of application are:
- stationery (letterheads, envelopes, notepaper, calling cards,
complimentary cards);
- forms;
- markings for motor vehicles, aircraft, and vessels;
- signage (advance signs, primary identification signs,
directory boards, common-use and operational signs, project
signs);
- advertising (print advertising, television and radio
advertising, outdoor and transit advertising, paid
announcements);
- published material (news releases, bulletins, brochures,
periodicals, books, booklets, leaflets, invitations, posters,
public notices, display cards, kit folders, loose-leaf binders,
electronic data, microfilms, microfiches);
- audio-visual productions and expositions (motion picture
films, videotapes, videodiscs, sound-slide presentations,
displays and exhibits);
- personnel identification (insignia, badges, name tags,
identification cards, hard hats);
- certificates, awards, commemorative plaques;
- packaging and labelling; and
- identification of equipment such as all-terrain vehicles,
small watercraft, construction and maintenance equipment, and
railway hopper cars.
7. Design standards
Certain key applications of FIP are subject to
design standards that prescribe elements such as size, layout,
colour and typography. These technical standards are set out in
the Federal Identity Program Manual and apply to:
- stationery items (letterheads and envelopes, notepaper,
calling cards and complimentary cards);
- the FIP signage system (primary identification signs,
directory boards, common-use and operational signs, and project
signs); and
- markings for motor vehicles.
All other fields of application of the FIP are
subject to the general rules on the use of symbols, signatures
and colours, but the design is at the discretion of the
institution concerned. The FIP manual provides guidance.
8. Using other
symbols
As stated in this policy, symbols other than the
government's corporate symbols are not permitted on standard
applications of FIP. Nevertheless, a minister may propose, for
government-wide use, a symbol that promotes a major program or
event sponsored or supported by the Government of Canada. When
approved by the President of the Treasury Board, such a symbol
may be applied to items such as envelopes, published material, or
advertisements. (A typical example would be a symbol emanating
from the United Nations and dedicating a year to a particular
cause.)
A government institution that considers using a
symbol to promote a special event, anniversary, or program,
should ensure that the institution's corporate identity
management function controls its application and that the symbol
does not conflict with the corporate symbols. This principle
applies whether or not the symbol originates within or outside
the government.
9. Definitions
Application: the act of applying
FIP design standards or general rules to an object (e.g. a sign,
a vehicle).
Applied title: the approved name
used in the signature to identify an institution, program or
activity. (See also legal title, service title.)
Common-use sign: any sign with a
message related to the facility itself. This type of sign remains
valid regardless of changes in the facility's occupants, e.g. a
directory board, a sign relating to fire safety, signs
identifying rooms. (See also operational sign.)
Design standard: the approved rules
on the use of design elements outlined in the FIP policy. They
prescribe elements such as shape, size, layout, colour,
typography, and use of symbols.
Field of application: the gamut of
items that bear the identifying elements of FIP, e.g. stationery,
vehicles, signs.
FIP signage: primary identification
signs; common-use signs; operational signs; and project signs.
(Excluded are signs subject to a regulation which specifies their
design.)
Legal title: the name that appears
in the enabling legislation (act), proclamation, order in
council, or other instrument used to create a branch of
government. (See also applied title.)
Operational sign: any sign with a
message related solely to the operational needs and hence the
responsibility, of the occupant institution. This type of sign is
normally located within the space the institution occupies. (See
also common-use sign.)
Primary identification sign: the
first sign that identifies a federal facility and bears the
signature and the wordmark.
Project sign: a sign that provides
information about federal programs or projects, e.g. public
works, employment programs, housing.
Service title: the name that
identifies an organizational unit, program, service, or activity,
and, for purposes of a signature, appears with the applied title
of the parent institution.
Signature: the combination of a
symbol and a title. (Also referred to as the corporate
signature.)
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