- The Governor General of Canada
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Rose Marie Angélique Bernard
Whitehorse, Yukon
Grant of Arms and Supporters, with differences to Sébastien William Comchi and Samuel Nicholas Comchi
May 15, 2019
Vol. VII, p. 187
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Blazon
Arms
Purpure three fountain pens palewise, their nibs in base, in chief and in base, entravaillé within five barrulets Or;
Crest
A raven proper, its dexter claw resting on a sextant Or and perched on a soccer ball issuant from a circlet of blue flags and crocuses proper;
Supporters
Dexter a black bear proper charged on the shoulder with a plate bearing a wolf’s head contourné Sable, sinister a grizzly bear proper charged on the shoulder with a plate bearing a raven’s head, the Supporters standing on a snowy base set with fireweed proper;
Motto
S’OUVRIR À TOUTES LES POSSIBILITÉS;
Symbolism
Arms
Like scrolls of parchment, the two sets of horizontal stripes and the quills represent Commissioner Bernard’s profession as a translator. Together, they also recall her contribution to the community in the fields of arts, theatre and Franco-Yukon associations. Purple, a colour associated with royalty, represents the community of the Commissioners and Lieutenant-Governors. The gold symbolizes the precious metal discovered in the Yukon.
Crest
The raven is the official bird of Yukon, and for Commissioner Bernard it is also a symbol of gratitude. The sextant pays tribute to her immigrant ancestors who came from France, Ireland and Italy. The blue flag is the floral emblem of Quebec, the province of her birth, and the crocus is a plant common to Ukraine and Poland where, respectively, the paternal and maternal families of her husband David Comchi originated. The soccer ball represents her active family life.
Supporters
The bears allude to Commissioner Bernard’s surname, derived from Germanic words meaning “strong bear.” They also represent the wildlife of Yukon, her adoptive home. The wolf’s head and the raven’s head represent the two First Nation clans of Yukon and indicate Commissioner Bernard’s admiration and respect for the First Nations of Yukon. The snowy base and the fireweed flowers represent Yukon.
Motto
This French phrase means “Be open to all possibilities” and expresses the ideas of openness of mind and curiosity, which have always inspired Commissioner Bernard.