Guidelines for Product of Canada and
Made in Canada Claims

National symbols

The use of the Canadian Coat of Arms and the Canadian Flag are both protected under the Trade-marks Act, subsection 9(1).

Coat of Arms

The Canadian Coat of Arms cannot be used, unless permission is granted by the Department of Canadian Heritage. Requests for permission may be made to:

Federal Identity Program
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R5
Tel: 613-957-2533
Fax: 613-946-5187
information@fip-pcim.gc.ca

National Flag

The national flag with the 11-point maple leaf and one or two bars cannot be used unless permission for its use is granted by the Department of Canadian Heritage. There is however, no objection to the use of an 11-point maple leaf without bars. The maple leaf should not be used on an imported food product since it may give the consumer the false impression that the product is of domestic origin. Requests for permission may be made to:

State Ceremonial and Canadian Symbols
Department of Canadian Heritage
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M5
Tel: 819-934-9048
Fax: 819-997-8550
CeremonialetSymboles_CeremonialandSymbols@pch.gc.ca

Maple Leaf

The use of the maple leaf or other similar symbol may be used on food products without further permission. The use of these vignettes on their own does not always imply that the product is wholly or partially Canadian (e.g., maple leaves as part of a fall scene on a product's label).

However, depending on how the maple leaf is used, it could imply a "Product of Canada" claim and in such situations, the product must follow the criteria for a "Product of Canada" claim. In order to ensure that the use of the maple leaf or other similar symbol will not mislead the consumer, it is recommended that an accompanying domestic content statement be placed in close proximity to the vignette.

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