The CanadaBuys visual motif
While browsing the site, you might have noticed the geometric characters and accompanying colours that make up the CanadaBuys unique motif.
Capturing the essence of Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) mandate, the visual motif was created to capture the following concepts:
Economic growth
The image of money is synonymous with the idea of economy and economic growth. As such, these iconic figures were pulled from the five Canadian coins and re-imagined in a new and dynamic way.
Modernization
To echo the goal of modernization, each figure is composed of geometric shapes. This style digitizes the figures and brings them into the new age.
Simplicity
The geometric pattern is entirely composed of triangles. This shape was chosen since it is the simplest of shapes.
Socio-economic factors
Focusing on the green aspect of procurement, these iconic figures are placed in their natural environment using polygons to create land mass and bodies of water.
The Beaver: Found in every Canadian province, the North American beaver has long been a cultural icon of Canadian society. Though it was only given official status as an emblem of Canada in March of 1975, the bucked-tooth builder has been associated with the Great White North since the 17th century and was featured on the country’s first postage stamp in 1851. “Beaver sitting on a rock,” the design appearing on the five cent coin in circulation today, was created by Canadian artist G.E Kruger Gray and was introduced in 1937.
The Bluenose: Launched at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in 1921, the Bluenose became the most renowned ship in Canadian history. Used as both a fishing and a racing vessel, the ship was instrumental in building the reputation of the Grand Banks fishery. At the height of the Bluenose’s fame, artist Emanuel Hahn created the design for the ten cent coin. First issued in 1937, it is meant to symbolize both the magnitude of the fishing industry in Canada and the maritime skills of Canadians. Though the ship was wrecked in 1946, a replica was built in 1963. The Bluenose II still docks in Lunenburg today.
The Caribou: Long ambling the Canadian northlands, the North American caribou is one of the country’s most recognized symbols. Instrumental in the survival of northern First Nations and Inuit for centuries, it was economically, socially, and traditionally central in these cultures and is still valuable to this day. Along with the beaver and Bluenose coin designs, the caribou was introduced on the twenty-five cent coin in 1937. Like the ten cent coin, the design, often confused for a moose, was created by artist Emanuel Hahn.
The Polar Bear: Roaming the Canadian Arctic is the polar bear, the last addition to the coin family. Like the caribou, the polar bear is both culturally and economically significant to the northern First Nations and Inuit. Introduced in 1996, the two dollar coin or “toonie,” features the “polar bear in early summer on an ice floe” design by wildlife and landscape artist Brent Townsend.
The Loon: Found gliding across most Canadian lakes, the loon, along with its distinct call, is a classic staple of Canadian summers. Introduced in 1987, the one dollar circulation coin features the “common loon in water” design by wildlife artist Robert-Ralph Carmichael. Becoming the symbol of the Canadian dollar, it immediately became known country-wide as the “loonie”.
The Finishing Touch
To further emphasize the reference to Canadian currency and economy, the colour scheme for the CanadaBuys site was inspired by the Canadian banknotes. From the five dollar bill to the hundred, various gradients of the banknotes’ colour range were incorporated into our motif, rounding out the modern, Canadian-centric design.You can find each of our figures roaming, gliding, or floating on their own CanadaBuys page.