- The Governor General of Canada
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Gordon Douglas Fenton
New York, New York, United States of America
Grant of Arms, Flag and Badge
May 15, 2007
Vol. V, p. 141
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Blazon
Arms
Per saltire Gules and Azure, a saltire Argent between in chief a fleur-de-lis, in base a jack pine tree, and in the flanks two beavers couchant respectant Or;
Motto
(In Cree)
Symbolism
Arms
The colours allude to Fr. Fenton’s Scottish, Norwegian and English ancestry, and the white saltire cross indicates St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland and thus his Scottish heritage. The beavers represent his ancestors’ association with the Hudson’s Bay Company. Their posture facing one another suggests dialogue and participation in the community. The fleur-de-lis is a symbol often found on other Fenton arms; it also signifies a catholic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The jack pine refers to his late father’s work as a logger and to Fr. Fenton’s keen sense of respect for the environment.
Motto
Meaning “In Truth, freedom”, this phrase is based on John 8:32, “The truth shall make you free”. The use of Cree pays tribute both to Fr. Fenton’s ancestry and to his parish ministry in the 1980s in the Diocese of Keewatin in northwestern Ontario.