- The Governor General of Canada
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West Central High School
Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
Grant of Arms, Supporters, Flag and Badge
April 15, 2004
Vol. IV, p. 367
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Blazon
Arms
Per pale Vert and Or between two ancient lamps counterchanged a pallet Pean;
Crest
Issuant from a coronet of hazelnuts and wild roses Vert, a demi great horned owl stooping affronty Or gorged with a chain pendent therefrom a sextant Sable;
Supporters
Two wolves Or each gorged with a scarf of Sinclair tartan standing on a grassy mound Vert above barry wavy Argent and Azure;
Motto
CONSTANTIA STUDIUM ANIMUS;
Symbolism
Arms
The shield contains elements reverberating between past and present, memorializing for the past the exploits of David Thompson, fur trader, explorer, and surveyor. For the past, the lamp represents the seeker aspect of the explorer. David Thompson worked for the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company, which had a fur-trading outpost at Rocky Mountain House. The black vertical stripe represents the Rocky Mountains, a barrier through which Thompson tried to find a route for the traders to pass from the gold prairies to the verdant coast. For the present, the lamp represents the location of the school which is situated between a green forest reserve to the west and golden prairies to the east. The school is the source of the students who seek to find their paths in life towards a presently-unseen niche in society, symbolised by the ermine spots as apparent footprints on a road.
Crest
The coronet of hazelnuts and wild rose flowers is an educational coronet, the hazelnut being an ancient symbol of wisdom and the flower representing the province. The sextant alludes to David Thompson, who is important for the impact of his character on the area. The great horned owl represents the closeness that the school community shares with the mountains and nature in Rocky Mountain House. Being the official bird of Alberta and a non-migrating raptor establishing a living area and maintaining it for many years, the great horned owl is a symbol of nature and stability, as well as of the province of Alberta.
Supporters
The gold colour here represents the intellect. The wolf is chosen for its reputation of cleverness associated with courage and astuteness. An intelligent, social animal, it mates for life and cares solicitously for the young. The Sinclair tartan of the scarf symbolizes the parent school Will Sinclair High School.
Motto
This Latin phrase means “Perseverance, desire, attitude” and is a compact form of the fuller statement “Perseverance and desire…the rest is attitude” carried over from the parent school, Will Sinclair High School.