BC Lions

Canadian Football League Team CFL

Last modified: 2023-01-28 by rob raeside
Keywords: canadian football league | bc lions | british columbia lions | lions | football |
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      images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
BC Lions Logo Flags (Based on this photo and this photo).

On this page:

• Introduction: British Columbia Football Franchise
• British Columbia Logos
• British Columbia Commemorative Flags
• British Columbia Throwback Flags
• British Columbia Fan Flags

• Canadian Football League (CFL)
• Canadian Sport Flags
• Canada: Index of Pages

Introduction: British Columbia Lions Football Franchise
(BC Lions)

     The British Columbia Lions, or "BC Lions" or "Leos" for short, are a professional football team who compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The team is named for the Lions, a pair of mountain peaks overlooking the team's home city of Vancouver. Beginning in 1951 a group of Vancouver businessmen began a three-year long process of fund raising and passing the necessary financial viability hurdles required for admission into the existing four team Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). It wasn't until 1953 that the new franchise was granted and the BC Lions joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Edmonton Eskimos (now Edmonton Elks) and Calgary Stampeders in the western football league. They had been required to sell 6,500 season tickets, provide travel expenses to the four existing teams, and build at least a 15,000-seat home stadium. As luck would have it a new stadium was being built for the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. Empire Stadium (1954-1982) became the home field for the new franchise in the 1954 WIFU season. They have played every Canadian football season since, making them the oldest professional sports franchise in British Columbia. The Leos celebrated their 60th year in 2004.
     The BC Lions have been to the Grey Cup championship game 10 times (winning six) and were the first western Canadian team to win the Grey Cup at home in 1994 and 2011. They also became the first team to play and defeat an American-based franchise for the Grey Cup and hold the second-longest playoff streak in CFL history (between 1997-2016) with 20 consecutive seasons. Unfortunity, they also hold the record currently for the longest Grey Cup drought (since 2011) of the West Division teams.
     Today, proudly wearing their team colors of orange, black and white, the BC Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium (1983-2009, 2011-present). They have won their Western Division 13 times (1963, 1964, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012), the Western Division championships ten times (1963, 1964, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2011), and the Grey Cup championships six times (1964, 1985, 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2011). Their main rivals are the Montreal Alouettes who they meet yearly at the Labour Day Classic, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Sources: Wikipedia: BC Lions,  Canadian Encyclopedia: BC Lions,  Wikipedia: Canadian Football and BC Lions (Official Website).
     Note: Be aware that there are a host of manufacturer's variants of these and other fan flags being marketed for Lions fans. This includes garden flags, banners, and pennants.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

Primary BC Lions Logo

Adopted in 2005 - image located by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023  (source)

The British Columbia Football team has had just four primary logos since the 1950s. But for you enthusiasts, I recommend you visit this website to see and learn more about all the design variants.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

British Columbia Lions Mascot Logos between 1950-2004

1954-1966   1967-1977   1978-1989   1990-2004

Since 1990 the Vancouver based team's primary logo has been basically the same with the exception that "Leo the Lion" had three freckles on his cheek between 1990 and 2004. They disappeared in 2005. After that the only changes have been some slight orange color variants of the Lion.

British Columbia Lions Mascot "Paws" Logos

2005-present   2005-present

These alternative Paws Logos are also in use.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

British Columbia Lions Wordmark Logos

2005-2015     2005-2015     2016-present
images located by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

These British Columbia Lions wordmark logos are also sometimes used as alternate logos (usually in conjunction with Mascot Logos) on publications and websites. Variants exist, usually adding the name "British Columbia" above the letters of "Lions" or placing a orange "BC" in front of a black text "LIONS."
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

British Columbia Commemorative Flag

           images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

These commemorative flags celebrate the six Grey Cup championships of the British Columbia in 1964, 1985, 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2011. These are the equivalent of 8 American NFL Superbowl victories.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

image by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

The BC Lions franchise celebrated their 60th year in 2004. A "Season of Pride" indeed.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

British Columbia Throwback Flags

     images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo.

A throwback or retro flag uses one the older British Columbia logos in its design. Naturally they can also be an actual antique flags, rather than ones of modern manufacture. These two examples of retro type flags use the 1954-1966 logo.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

     images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

Use of older British Columbia Lions logos is demonstrated in these retro type flags. The Watermark logo on the left flag was used between 2005-2015 and the white helmet used on the second example was in use between the same years.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

BC Lions Fan Flags

Fan Flags are commercially manufactured flags either officially approved or licensed by a team or, unfortunately, in some cases, they might be illegal "ripoffs." There are also non-commercial one-of-a-kind handmade fan variants in use. They come in many styles, both vertical and horizon, and many variants exist. Designs are available with various horizontal and vertical strip patterns and design elements, but these flags all use some common design elements: usually a team logo, or a team helmet, and generally in the team colours of green, gold, and white, although recently black seems to have made an appearance.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

Lions Helmet-style Flags

Fan flags are available for the Lions both in vertical and horizontal formats. Fan flags featuring Lions helmets are especially popular.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

    images located by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

These Helmet-style flags done in the team colors with different field designs and are made for most CFL teams and have become very popular in recent years. These are three Tiger-Cat examples.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

    images located by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

image located by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo .

Lions Logo Motif Flags

     images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo.

     images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo.

     images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

     images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

     images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

These alternative Paws Logos fan flags are also in use.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023

Lions Man Cave Flags

     images by Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

These Leos fan flags are less for displaying at games or on flag poles, but more for the walls of the home "man cave."   These "Sundays are for Bombers" and "Welcome to Lions Country" type flags are being made for other CFL teams, naturally used with varying team names, days, and colours.
Pete Loeser, 12 January 2023