Montreal Alouettes

Canadian Football League Team CFL

Last modified: 2023-01-28 by rob raeside
Keywords: canadian football league | montreal alouettes | football |
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      images by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023
Montreal Alouettes Logo Flags (Based on this photo).

On this page:

• Introduction: Montreal Football Franchise
• Montreal Logos
• Montreal Commemorative Flags
• Montreal Throwback Flags
• Montreal Fan Flags

• Canadian Football League (CFL)
• Canadian Sport Flags
• Canada: Index of Pages

Introduction: Montreal Football Franchise
(Alouettes 1946-1981, Montreal Concordes 1982-1985, Montreal Alouettes 1986, Baltimore Stallions 1994-1995, and the Montreal Alouettes 1996-present)

     The Montreal Alouettes (Les Alouettes de Montréal) play in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The team is named after a Québecois song titled "Alouette" which is about a native Quebeci bird called an Alouettes (Skylark). The Alouettes name also comes from the Royal Canadian Air Force's first French Canadian squadron from Quebec Province, the 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron, or Alouettes Squadron. The original Alouettes football franchise was founded in 1946, but has folded twice and been revived twice since then.
     The original Alouettes (1946-1981) won four Grey Cup Championships and were a dominant power in the CFL during the 1970s. After their collapse in 1982 because of management disputes, they became the Montreal Concordes under new ownership until 1985. In 1986 they reclaimed their traditional "Alouettes" name before folding once again at the end of that season.
     It would be nine years before CFL football would once again be played in Montreal. During these years the CFL opened several new experimental American expansion franchises in the United States, one of which was the Baltimore Stallions (briefly the Baltimore CFL Colts) in 1994. The Stallions were the most successful of the short-lived CFL's American expansion franchises and in 1995 won a Grey Cup championship. They are the only American-based team to play for and win the Grey Cup. In 1995 the "Stallion" franchise returned to Montreal after the NFL Cleveland Browns moved back to Boston. Many players from the Stallions 1995 championship roster came north with them. They once again rebranded themselves the "Alouettes" in 1996 and have remained in Montreal ever since.
     This latest incarnation of the Larks, considered to be one of the better CFL teams, has added three new Grey Cups giving the franchise a total of seven. The Alouettes' home field is the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium and the team colours are red, white, and blue. Their fans call the them the "Als," or simply "Larks" and their mascot is a sky lark named Touché.
Sources: Wikipedia: Montreal Alouettes,  Canadian Encyclopedia: Montreal Alouettes,  Wikipedia: Canadian Football, Montreal Alouettes (Official English Website) and Les Alouettes de Montréal (Official French Website).
     Note: Be aware that there are a host of manufacturer's variants of these and other fan flags being marketed for Alouettes fans. This includes garden flags, banners, and pennants.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

Primary Montreal Alouettes Logos

Adopted in 2019 - image located by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023  (source)

The Montreal Football team has had seven primary logos since 1945. But for you enthusiasts, I recommend you visit this website to see and learn more about all the design variants. The importance of knowing team logos and their dating is it is helpful when dating or typing flags, banners and uniforms.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

Montreal Alouettes/Concordes Primary Logos between 1946-1981

1946-1969     1970-1974     1975-1981     1982-1985

Montreal Alouettes Primary Logos Between 1986-2018

1986    1994-1995*    1996-1999     2000-2018

* The CFL now considers the Baltimore Stallions to be a separate franchise from the Alouettes. The Stallions posted winning CFL records in both of their CFL seasons and advanced to the Grey Cup championship each season, and winning it the second time. However the CFL doesn't credit the 1995 Grey Cup win by the Stallions to the Alouettes franchise even though it was the same franchise owner who moved his club back to Montreal. (source)

Secondary/Alternate Montreal Alouettes Logos Since 2019

Type #1 since 2019     Type #2 since 2019     Type #3 since 2019     Type #4 since 2019

Montreal Alouettes Wordmark Logos ^#1

2000-2018    2005-2018

Type #1 since 2019    Type #2 since 2019    Type #3 since 2019
All of the above Logos and Wordmark images were located by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023 (source)

Note #1 - These Montreal Alouettes Wordmark Logos are sometimes used as alternate logos (sometimes in conjunction with other Logos) on publications and websites. They are helpful for flag scholars in dating or typing Alouettes flags

Montreal Commemorative Flags

            images by Pete Loeser and Rob Raeside, 21 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo and this photo.

These commemorative flags celebrate the seven Grey Cup championships of the Montreal in 1949, 1970, 1974, 1977, 2002, 2009, and 2010. These are the equivalent of 7 American NFL Superbowl victories.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

Montreal Alouettes Throwback Flags

A throwback or retro flag is one that uses an older team logo or style in its design. These examples of retro type flags use the 2000-2018 logo. Naturally they are not actual antique flags, because they are of modern manufacture.
Pete Loeser, 18 January 2023

     images by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

The Alouettes mascot is a sky lark named Touchě. These are examples of the many variants of these popular fan flags.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

     images by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023.

Obviously these are fairly recent Throwback Flags dating back just five years and are still very much in use by fans, but since the franchise introduced a newer primary logo, they are now throwback. The example below also uses the 2000-2018 wordmark, also obsolete.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

     images by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023
Based on this photo.

Montreal Alouettes Fan Flags

Fan Flags are commercially manufactured flags either officially approved or licensed by a team or, unfortunately, in some cases, they might be illegal "ripoffs." There are also non-commercial one-of-a-kind handmade fan variants in use. They come in many styles, both vertical and horizon, and many variants exist. Designs are available with various horizontal and vertical strip patterns and design elements, but these flags all use some common design elements: usually a team logo, or a team helmet, and generally in the team colours of green, gold, and white, although recently black seems to have made an appearance.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

Montreal Alouettes Helmet-style Flags

Fan flags are available for the Montreal Alouettes both in vertical and horizontal formats. Fan flags featuring Alouettes helmets are especially popular.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

    images located by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

These Helmet-style flags done in the team colors with different field designs and are made for most CFL teams and have become very popular in recent years. These are three Als examples.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

   image located by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023
Based on this photo.

Alouettes Logo Motif Flags

     images by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

These flags are all using the current team logo adopted in 2019. It uses a modern stylized Letter "M" resembling a Alouette or sky lark in flight as seen from above.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

Alouettes Logos On A Modified Canadian National Flag

    images by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023
Based on this photo.

These Montreal fan flags basically replace the maple leaf on the Canadian national flag with an Alouettes Logo using basic team colors.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023

Montreal Man-Cave/Message Flags

     images by Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023
Based on this photo and this photo.

These Montreal fan flags are less for displaying at games or on flag poles, but more for the walls of "Man-Caves." The "Sundays are for Bombers" and "Welcome to Alouettes Country" type flag are being made for other CFL teams as well, flags naturally come with varying team names and colours.
Pete Loeser, 21 January 2023