- The Governor General of Canada
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HMCS Montréal
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Confirmation of the blazon of a Badge
December 15, 2009
Vol. V, p. 489
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Blazon
Badge
Azure a pile reversed Argent charged in base with two bars wavy, overall a coronet of maple leaves and fleurs-de-lis Azure fimbriated Argent;
Motto
TON BRAS SAIT PORTER L’ÉPÉE;
Symbolism
Badge
The two blue bars represent the St. Lawrence River and the triangular shape Mount Royal, which gave its name to the city of Montreal. The coronet, a symbol of royalty, recalls the name of the mountain. The fleur-de-lis situates the city in the province of Quebec, while the maple leaves represent her status as a Canadian ship of war. Blue and white are the colours of the flag of Quebec.
Motto
TON BRAS SAIT PORTER L’ÉPEE, meaning “Your arm knows how to bear a sword” is taken from the French lyrics of the Canadian national anthem. The ship has traditionally used a line from the English lyrics as the motto translation, “We stand on guard for thee”, to express a similar sentiment.