- The Governor General of Canada
The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.
The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
Grant of Supporters and Badges
September 15, 2004
Vol. IV, p. 400
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Blazon
Arms
Quarterly per fess embattled Gules and Argent, in the first quarter an inescutcheon Argent charged with a maple leaf Gules;
Crest
Issuant from maple leaves Gules, a demi lion Or holding a staff proper flying therefrom a banner of the Arms fringed Or;
Supporters
Dexter a beaver sejant Or collared Gules pendent therefrom a torteau bearing the Royal Crown proper, sinister a narwhal haurient Argent armed Or charged on the shoulder with a torteau bearing the Royal Crown proper, the whole set upon a compartment per pale of a grassy mound and waves proper;
Motto
ET PATRIBUS ET POSTERITATI;
Symbolism
Arms
Red and white are the colours of Canada and mark the Society as a national organization. The crenellated division line indicates its mandate to stand on guard for good heraldic practice in Canada. The small shield represents the subject of heraldry itself, and the maple leaf is the national emblem.
Crest
The lion is a quintessential heraldic emblem, and it appears both as a supporter and as a reference to the crest of the arms of Canada. Before the original grant of arms, the Society used a lion and a maple leaf, a combination that also appeared in the armorial bearings of the Society's founding president, Alan Beddoe. The banner of the arms shows another form of heraldic display and can also refer to the sister science of vexillology, the study of flags. The maple leaves further the national symbolism.
Supporters
The supporters are recognizably Canadian animals. The beaver indicates the fur trade, which was instrumental in the development of our country; as such, it has appeared in Canadian heraldry for over 300 years. The horn of the narwhal can allude to the unicorn, a famous heraldic beast. The addition of the red discs bearing the Royal Crown indicates that the Society received permission from H.M. the Queen to include the word “Royal” in its name.
Motto
Meaning "For ancestors and posterity".