- 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 Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton
Edmonton, Alberta
Grant of Arms
November 20, 2009
Vol. V, p. 479
[ previous page ]
Blazon
Arms
Azure a chevron Argent between in chief two ears of wheat in saltire and two snowshoes in saltire and in base a Chi-Rho Or;
Symbolism
Arms
Blue refers to the healing waters of Lac Ste. Anne, the site of the first Catholic mission in the area, to the waters of Baptism, and to Mary, the mother of Christ. White refers to the truth and hope Christians find in the Gospel, while gold refers to the providence and glory of God. The chevron represents a carpenter’s square, an emblem of St. Joseph, the patron of the Archdiocese. It also alludes to the Rocky Mountains in the west of the Archdiocese. The ears of wheat are a Eucharistic symbol of the Bread of Life; they also refer to prairie agriculture. The snowshoes represent the ministry of the first bishop, Vital Grandin, who was said to have walked 25,000 miles in snowshoes during his ministry. The Chi-Rho, which combines the Greek letters X and P (Ch and R in the Roman alphabet), refers to the name of Christ.