- The Governor General of Canada
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Kent Edward Dunn
Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia
Grant of Arms, Flag and Badge
December 20, 2019
Vol. VII, p. 223
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Blazon
Arms
Per pale Argent and Azure a bagpipe between two trilliums slipped and leaved, on a chief enarched per pale a Graphium policenes butterfly embellished, all counterchanged;
Crest
A demi-English bulldog collared of a rainbow scarf proper knitting from a ball of yarn Azure;
Motto
DWELL IN POSSIBILITY;
Symbolism
Arms
Blue alludes to the ocean and Dr. Dunn’s love of water. The bagpipes illustrate both his Scottish ancestry and his love of music. In the context of his profession as a clinical psychiatrist, musical harmony represents achieving a state of mental balance. The trillium flowers symbolize the province of Ontario, where Dr. Dunn grew up. The arched division echoes the shape of a rainbow, and honours Dr. Dunn’s dedication to the LGBTQ2S+ community. It also represents a boundary, alluding to the seashore and to the name Kent, which is derived from the Proto-Celtic word kanto or canto, meaning “rim” or “edge”. The common swordtail butterfly (Graphium policenes) is a species native to Uganda, where Dr. Dunn was born. Through the transformations of its life cycle, the butterfly is also a symbol of mental health, reflecting Dr. Dunn’s vocation as a psychiatrist assisting people in their transition to a state of wellness. The butterfly is also a symbol associated with the LGBTQ2S+ community.
Crest
The bulldog is Dr. Dunn’s beloved pet BamBam. Knitting is one of Dr. Dunn’s cherished activities. As an act of assembling loose threads into an intricate pattern to make a useful and beautiful object, knitting further symbolizes Dr. Dunn’s profession as a psychiatrist and the process of helping people reconstruct their mental well-being. The rainbow scarf represents the LGBTQ2S community.
Motto
The phrase represents Dr. Dunn’s optimism. Believing that everything is possible gives hope to live one’s life as one sees fit, achieve a state of wellness, and reach one’s fullest potential.