How Alberta’s new licence plate compares to 113 years of designs

Alberta Newsroom/Flickr │ Reimar/Shutterstock

Alberta has seen its fair share of license plate variations over the past century, and with a brand-new plate and slogan being unveiled today, we’re looking back at how the new design compares to those of the last century.

The Alberta government has announced the new licence plate will feature an image of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park and the new “Strong and Free” slogan, replacing the long-standing “Wild Rose Country” motto that had appeared on plates since 1973.

Alberta Government

The plate was selected after three rounds of voting and more than 240,000 votes cast in the online tournament-style vote. In the end, Albertans selected the plate featuring Moraine Lake, with a green and pink wild rose dividing the plate numbers and the brand-new motto.

“Echoing the ‘Strong and Free’ motto of our province, the plate reflects Alberta’s bold identity, economic strength and deep-rooted provincial pride,” the province said in a news release.

“The motto’s inclusion on the licence plates will also serve as a nod to Canada’s national anthem and Alberta’s position as a strong and sovereign province within a united Canada.”

The new plates will be available in mid-2026.

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But while this is the first major plate shakeup in over 30 years, Alberta’s plate designs have gone through just about every colour combo imaginable in the last 113 years, from white on red and red on white to yellow on black and black on yellow.

There have been way too many to count, but these are some of our favourite licence plate designs from the last 113 years: