- The Governor General of Canada
The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.
Richard Ian Guy Morrison
Ottawa, Ontario
Grant of Arms, Flags and Badge, with differences to Clare Elizabeth Hodgetts, Mark Erik Guy Morrison and Michael Andrew Guy Morrison
October 15, 2018
Vol. VII, p. 126
[ previous page ]
Blazon
Arms
Per fess dancetty Argent and lozengy Gules and Argent, in chief a red knot volant Sable, in base two open books Argent bound Sable above a pellet charged with a nematode Argent;
Crest
A red knot nesting on a bed of purple saxifrage flowers proper;
Motto
IGNOTA COGNOSCERE;
Symbolism
Arms
The bird silhouette represents the red knot, a species that has been a major focus of Dr. Morrison’s research on shorebird populations. The two peaks allude to the geographical features of two significant sites in Dr. Morrison’s work: Mount Pullen and Dean Hill near Alert, Nunavut, and the two hills at the western end of Bahia Lomas, Tierra del Fuego, Chile. They also form a letter M for the name Morrison. The chequered pattern alludes to the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, a shorebird conservation concept created by Dr. Morrison. The books refer to Dr. Morrison’s scholarly career and to the two universities he attended, St. Andrews and Cambridge. The nematode worm, Skrjabinoclava morrisoni, was a species discovered in 1987 and named for Dr. Morrison in honour of his contributions to the understanding of shorebird biology. Red and white are the colours of Canada and of the Order of Canada, of which he is a Member.
Crest
The red knot repeats the symbolism of the Arms. The purple saxifrage, a feature of the landscape near Alert, is the floral emblem of Nunavut.
Motto
This Latin phrase means “To know the unknown” and represents Dr. Morrison’s research.