- The Governor General of Canada
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Ben Guenther Rempel
Bayham, Ontario
Grant of Arms, Flag and Badge
January 20, 2023
Vol. VIII, p. 138
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Blazon
Arms
Per fess Azure and Gules six chamomile flowers in annulus proper;
Crest
A demi-bear Or playing a harp proper and issuant from a coronet Gules of prairie crocuses and western red lilies proper;
Motto
STRENGTH IS MY INHERITANCE;
Symbolism
Arms
The chamomile is the state flower of Russia and refers to the family’s origin in the then-Russian Empire. The six flowers represent Mr. Rempel and his five sisters, as well as their unity. Blue is the colour of the arms of Ekaterinoslav, the province in what is now Ukraine where the family lived. As one of the main colours of Canada, red represents the Rempel family’s integration in their new homeland.
Crest
For Mr. Rempel, the bear is an iconic Canadian creature that is a reminder of his family’s roots in Ontario. To him, the harp represents spiritual healing and faith in God, therefore serving as an important symbol of his Christian heritage and Mennonite faith. The prairie crocus and the western red lily are the provincial flowers of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and therefore embody the home provinces of his mother and father respectively. More generally, they also allude to the regions where his ancestors first settled when they immigrated to Canada.
Motto
This phrase expresses the characteristics evokes the determination that Mr. Rempel’s ancestors displayed in their journey to find a home free from discrimination.