CANADA OLD AND NEW

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Last updated February 4, 2025
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I am not seriously at this point collecting anything other than Nova Scotia plates, but do have a few Canadian plates from other provinces. 
You will see elsewhere my British Columbia plates as I have an actual run of those.  
On this page I am showing you my very small representative collection from the rest of the country. 
My basic concept is to show an older plate (or plates) followed by more recent types. 
This is a collection of plates that I like, so there is not a strict uniformity to this and therefore it is a bit random in nature.
Most are regular passenger plates but there are a few of other types.  I am not attempting to do anything here except show what I have.



Before displaying the Canadian plates, here is my plate from St. Pierre and Miquelon.   This of course has no business being shown on my Canada page,
but it does have almost honorary Canadian status, as this French territory is just 10 km (6 miles) distant from the closest Canadian
 land along the Newfoundland coast.   While it is very much French, there is a passenger ferry to Fortune, NF and as well air service to
 St. John's, Halifax, Moncton and Montreal.  This is an older plate, as current issues follow the uniform European Union style.



 
 

 

 
Province/Territory "Old" "New"
Alberta  

 
Saskatchewan  


As stated elsewhere I don't presently have any ambition to collect runs of anything outside Nova Scotia and a limited one for BC, but I am partial for some reason, to the older Saskatchewan plates, especially the years with the special slogans.   






 

 

 







Manitoba  

 
Ontario  


This is the last embossed dated issue of Ontario passenger plates.  These remained valid,
with stickers.  Later plates had no date stamp, and went through to
the Z series.  In 1986 the serials for new issues were reversed to the
format of 123ABC, and continued on to 999ZZZ in 1997 when the four letter
prefixes commenced.  Note that the slogan changed from "Keep It Beautiful" to "Yours to Discover" in 1982 during the Txx123 stage of serial progression.


 

 
FAAE001 to FAAMxxx    See "blue plate" explanation to the right.
This is an example of the relatively rare French type.



Plate used on EV and hybrid vehicles. 
Currently, all of the English version commence with GV.
There is also a French language version using the VE series.

 

 Ontario passenger plates since 1997 have been in the format of AAAA1234. These commenced with AAAA001 and as of 2024 have just progressed into the Dxxx series.  French language plates were introduced later in the same format but commencing with the letter F.  


 

 F.

Note that various subseries in the overall B series are the French version.

In February 2020 a new plate was introduced, to replace the blue on white embossed plates. This plate had the colours reversed and was flat aluminum with a slogans and serial on a plastic film.  These serials commenced with CM (and in theory CN) for English plates, and FAAE001 to FAAMxxx for French plates.  After introduction it was quickly realized that there were nighttime readability issues, and issuance was discontinued. The previous type was reintroduced, but those with the blue plates continued their use.  


A typical plate in the C series, issued after the cancellation of the blue
plates, described above.


The D series commenced in early 2024.
Quebec  

 

 
New Brunswick  

 
Prince Edward Island  



The 1973 plate commemorated the centennial of PEI's entry into Canada. 
Note the rhyming slogan.  The main part of the slogan was used again for
a few years but without the rhyming aspect.





 

 
Newfoundland & Labrador  

  Newfoundland and Labrador converted to the AAA123 format with the 1982 series, Following the exhaustion of the Axx series, the province went straight to HBD during the 1993 base type as the intervening series are used for non-passenger plates.


This is the 1996 to 1997 special series issued to commemorate John Cabot arriving at Newfoundland in 1497. All are thought to commence with HAB to HBC. Following this issue the province reverted to the previous type.

 



This is the 1997 type that commenced with the HMV series.  This continues to be the standard plate type, still current, but interrupted by special issues "Come Home" and "2024 Anniversary".  The Jxx series began in 2013 when Hxx became exhausted. It is expected to go to JUG, then to the JWx series.
..

This Come Home type was issued during 2022, spanning JRA to JTC.


This sample plate is one of thousands that were distributed by the province free of charge during 2024 as a means of promoting the 75th anniversary of Newfoundland joining Canada   Actual issued plates are in the JUH to JVV series
Yukon Territory  

 
Northwest Territories

 

 



From 1975 to 1981, plates were issued for odd-numbered years only, and revalidated with a sticker for the subsequent even-number year.  The 1983 plate was also good for 1984 and 1985.   In 1986 a  new undated plate was issued, current through to 2010.
2010 Undated type, current today
     
Nunavut
was created in 1999 from the northeastern parts of the Northwest Territories.


When it was first created, Nunavut opted to retain the NWT bear pattern of licence plates, but with the changed name, and with an N suffix on all serials.  This commercial plate commences with a C and ends with the N to signify Nunavut.  

 

 


In July of 2012 the bear plates were superceded by a purely Nunavut design.  Passenger plates commenced with 000-001.  Note the leading zeroes, in itself an unusual feature.  This example shown above was the 128th passenger plate issued, most likely within the first month.  In any other jurisdiction this would have been a three-digit plate.   Note also that, with this issue, Nunavut opted, unfortinately in my view, to go with screen-printed serials instead of embossed.  Always in my view gives a cheap feel and prone to bending.