ALLAN FLEMING (1929-1977)

Designer Allan Fleming is often referred to as the person who branded Canada because of his pivotal role in shaping the visual identities of major Canadian institutions throughout the 1960s and 1970s. 

He joined the Ontario College of Art (OCA, now OCAD University) in 1955 as a part-time typography instructor. While at OCA, Fleming was commissioned to create a new logo for Canadian National Railway (CN). He sketched his idea for the CN logo on the back of a cocktail napkin while on a flight. The letters C and N formed a continuous line symbolizing a railway. The logo was unveiled in 1960 and remains largely unchanged today. 

Two years after his successful rebrand of CN, Fleming developed a new identity for Ontario Hydro, unveiled in 1965. The new design featured an overlapping O and H, creating a stylized electrical connection. Variations on Fleming’s design would remain in use until 1999, when Ontario Hydro was dissolved and its operations were transferred to Hydro One. It was not the only major Canadian company to acknowledge Fleming’s exceptional design abilities.

In 1961, the Bank of Nova Scotia adopted the Scotiabank name, and commissioned Fleming to design a graphical treatment for the new identity. He responded to the challenge by combining two different typefaces to emphasize both the traditional, secure nature of the bank and the modern, youthful side of the business.

Fleming was also prolific in publishing design. He joined Maclean’s briefly as an art director, radically redesigning the look of the magazine. In the final decade of his life, he joined the University of Toronto Press (UTP) as the chief of design. Fleming revolutionized the appearance of scholarly publications during his tenure by leveraging the interdisciplinary skills of UTP's editors, designers and marketing staff, fostering collaboration and innovation. ¹

Learn more about Allan Fleming

¹Allan Fleming: The man who branded a nation, eye, Spring 2011

Image credit: CN Logo