British Columbia's Coat of Arms was officially unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987. It incorporates the Queen's Royal Crest at the top - the crowned lion standing on the imperial crown. To differentiate B.C.'s Royal Crest from the version used before 1987, it has been changed to include the crowned lion wearing a collar of Pacific dogwood flowers. Below the crown is a helmet - a heraldic symbol of sovereignty - that represents B.C.'s provincial sovereignty in Canada's constitutional framework. The red and white mantling displays Canada's official colours, which represents the British and the French.
The Royal Union flag (commonly known as the Union Jack) with the centred crown symbolizes the province's colonial past. The setting sun indicates that B.C. is the western-most province and next to the Pacific Ocean, which is represented by the wavy blue stripes. On the left side, the elk represents the former Colony of Vancouver Island. The big horned mountain sheep on the right represents the former Colony of British Columbia. The Latin motto at the bottom - Splendor sine Occasu - means "Splendour without Diminishment". Entwining the motto is another dogwood garland.
There's a special reason why the Union Jack is placed above the waves and rising sun in B.C.'s symbols. When the B.C. Coat of Arms was first developed by Canon Arthur Beanlands of Victoria in 1895, the Shield of Arms had the waves and sun placed above the Union Jack. When B.C. attempted to register the Coat of Arms with the British College of Arms, the "inferior" position of the Union Jack as well as its usage (which only the monarch could grant) led to the denial of its formal registration.
In 1906, an agreement was reached with the College regarding only the Shield of Arms and the provincial motto. The motto remained unchanged, but the Shield now had to have the Union Jack above the waves and sun, and King Edward's Crown had to be placed in the centre of the Union Jack to reaffirm the rights of the monarch. It wasn't until 1987 that the remainder of the Coat of Arms was granted by Queen Elizabeth II. The Coat of Arms hasn't changed since.
