- 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.
William David Neelands
Toronto, Ontario
Grant of Arms and Badge
October 11, 2000
Vol. IV, p. 54
[ previous page ]
Blazon
Arms
Azure a hare salient Argent gorged with a hunting horn Vert stringed and garnished Or, on a chief Argent four pine trees issuant from the baseline Azure;
Crest
On a grassy mound Vert a pinecone erect Or;
Motto
NON SIBI SED ALTERI;
Symbolism
Arms
The central part of the design is basically that of the original Scottish Kneland/Cleland family, hereditary foresters to the Earls of Douglas. To this has been added the white chief with the four pine trees, a reference to Dr. Neelands and his three brothers. As a pine forest in winter, it can also allude to the family’s early settlement in the Caledon area of Upper Canada in 1819. The blue and white colours are also those of the University of Toronto, with which Dr. Neelands has been associated for many years.
Crest
The seed-laden pinecone and the grass signal the return of new life after the cycle of winter, and can also refer to the new beginnings of the family settling in Canada, as well as to productivity and growth.
Motto
This Latin phrase means “Not for oneself but for the others”, and it is an expansion of the traditional Kneland/Cleland motto, Non Sibi (“Not for oneself”).