Part of the Canadian national anthem is turning out to be a possible legal headache for the Alberta government.
Saint John woman owns rights to Alberta’s ‘Strong and Free’ motto — if it appears on licence plates
Sam Farley · CBC News
· Posted: Oct 28, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago
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Alberta recently announced plans for a new licence plate. This is one of six designs that residents can vote on, but all bear the provincial motto ‘Strong and Free.’ (Nathan Gross/CBC)
Part of O Canada could become a legal headache for the Alberta government as a New Brunswick business looks to defend its trademark.
Earlier this month, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith unveiled six potential licence plate designs for residents to vote on as the province switches to a new plate.
While the choices featured different designs, from cowboys to oil rigs, all had the province’s official slogan “Strong and Free.”
The problem is, a local business in New Brunswick already holds the trademark for “Strong & Free.”
The trademark, which was approved by the government in 2022, specifically names more than 200 items Dow’s design might be made on, but can’t without her permission. It lists everything from clothing, hats, lanterns, towels,
This story was brought to Nouzie by RSS. The original post can be found on https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/alberta-licence-plate-motto-dispute-9.6952073?cmp=rss
