As CBC prepares to launch a contest to find the quintessential symbol that defines British Columbia, culture and history experts say much can be learned by digging into a symbol's origins and meaning.  

The bracket for B.C.'s Best Symbol starts on Monday, and will run for several weeks, with voting open online from Mondays to Thursdays. One final symbol will be announced as the winner at the end.

A symbol, defined as a thing that represents or stands for something else, can give us insight into h…