NOVEMBER 15, 2025 — Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has unveiled a newly redesigned university flag, according to a press release by the university, reinterpreting an older flag that has represented the institution for more than half a century.
The flag, first raised on November 7 in the Kerr Hall quad, aligns with the university’s broader celebration of institutional milestones, including the creation of a School of Medicine and the growth of its young law faculty.
The redesigned flag retains key elements of the 1972 original, centring on the lamp of learning and the square, which have been longstanding symbols of intellectual pursuit and practical creativity.
These icons, historically part of the university’s crest, have been simplified to better suit digital and physical contexts alike.
The lamp of learning remains a core motif, representing the illumination of the mind and the vitality of discovery. It stands as a metaphor for knowledge that dispels ignorance, an image still widely used in academic heraldry.
The accompanying geometric form, an inverted triangle often interpreted as a square or set square, symbolizes craftsmanship, construction, and the tangible results of human intellect.
While the earlier flag was composed of white, blue, and gold fields, the new version pares the palette down to blue and white. The original meaning of the blue, for loyalty and truth, and gold, for generosity and elevated thought, will now remain part of institutional memory, according to the University.
The modernized design also integrates TMU’s updated wordmark, a nod to the name the university adopted in 2022 after distancing itself from its former name, the Ryerson University.
