- The Governor General of Canada
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Janet Edna Merivale Austin
Victoria, British Columbia
Grant of a Crest and Supporters, with differences to David Austin Simmins
May 15, 2019
Vol. VII, p. 186
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Blazon
Arms
Azure on a chevron engrailed between three Latin crosses Or, three roses Gules barbed Vert seeded Or;
Crest
A demi-Kermode bear gorged of a collar of cedar bark proper pendent therefrom a triangle reversed voided Azure and holding a paddle its blade upwards proper;
Supporters
Two Steller’s jays proper each gorged of a coronet of maple leaves Or and dogwood flowers Argent, standing on a grassy mount set with cedar branches and mayflowers proper above barry wavy Argent and Azure;
Motto
MENS CONSCIA RECTI;
Symbolism
Arms
The arms are based on the 1852 College of Arms grant to the Right Reverend William Piercy Austin (1807-1892), Bishop of Guyana, which permitted all descendants of Col. Thomas Austin (d. 1806) to bear a version of the arms. Her Honour’s father, Grey Austin, was one such descendant, and for his grant of arms the background colour was changed from red to blue as a reference to his service in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. In place of the three lions’ heads in the original arms are three roses alluding to the wild rose emblem of Alberta, where Mr. Austin resided for most of his life. The passion crosses commemorate the service of the original grantee, Bishop Austin, to the Church of England in the Caribbean and South America.
Crest
The Kermode or Spirit bear is the provincial mammal of British Columbia. The paddle acknowledges the immemorial presence of First Nations in the province, its vertical orientation recalling the traditional position in which it was held by Indigenous people of the west coast as they approached a settlement in a peaceful and welcoming manner. The cedar collar is a symbol of British Columbia and another acknowledgement of the presence of First Nations, who used the cedar tree for houses, utensils and ceremonial carvings. The triangle alludes to the emblem of the YWCA, usually depicted in blue, an organization with which Her Honour served for many years, promoting ideas of women in leadership, gender equality and social justice.
Supporters
The Steller’s jay is the official bird of British Columbia. The maple leaves and Pacific dogwood flowers represent Canada and British Columbia as well as the splendours of the natural environment. The mayflowers, the floral emblem of Nova Scotia, honour Her Honour’s late mother, Anna MacInnis, who was from Cape Breton. The waves allude to the ocean setting of British Columbia and of Cape Breton.
Motto
Meaning “A mind conscious of rectitude,” this Latin phrase was used by Her Honour’s father, Grey Austin, and was originally adopted by William Piercy Austin (1807-1892), Bishop of Guyana.