- The Governor General of Canada
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The Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Grant of Arms and Badge
October 15, 2006
Vol. V, p. 68
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Blazon
Arms
Purpure on a pale of birchbark proper between two keys wards in base Or, an hourglass proper its stand Purpure;
Crest
An open book Argent bound Purpure in front of a demi-compass rose Or;
Motto
LEARNING FROM HISTORY;
Symbolism
Arms
Purple and gold represent the mineral wealth of the Thunder Bay region. The colour purple represents the gemstone amethyst, which has been designated as the provincial mineral of Ontario. Keys are frequently used as a symbol for museums, indicating both the unlocking of knowledge of the treasures of the past and the safeguarding of that knowledge and those treasures. The unique use of birchbark represents the Ojibway culture and Midewiwin scrolls, which record in pictographic images the traditions of the Midewiwin society of the Ojibway people. It also represents the birchbark canoe used for transportation and commerce in the fur trade era of Canadian history. The hourglass is symbolic of the passage of time.
Crest
The compass rose indicates exploration, both in its historical sense and in the concept of intellectual exploration. The open book represents the Museum’s archival collection and its research and publishing mandate.
Motto
Not applicable