- The Governor General of Canada
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Frederick Wilbert Russell-Rivoallan
Paris, France
Grant of Arms and Flag
September 15, 2010
Vol. V, p. 547
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Blazon
Arms
Per pale dovetailed Gules and Ermine a pine tree eradicated counterchanged;
Crest
Issuant from a coronet of maple leaves, trillium flowers and roses Argent a stag proper holding between its hooves a sinister hand couped appaumé Gules;
Motto
WHAT COULD BE CAN BE;
Symbolism
Arms
The red is a reference to the surname “Russell”, originally a nickname for a person with red hair. As red is also one of the colours of the Canadian flag, it represents Mr. Russell-Rivoallan’s youth and education in Canada. The ermine is taken from the arms of Brittany, the ancestral home of Mr. Russell-Rivoallan’s spouse. The pine tree is a symbol of the City of Brampton, Ontario, where Mr. Russell-Rivoallan spent his childhood; it is eradicated to indicate that he is “uprooted”, living a great distance from his city of origin. The dovetailed partition line, a pun on “dove” and therefore a reference to peace, refers to his work in the service of peace and international understanding, both at the Lester B. Pearson Canadian International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Nova Scotia, where he served as Assistant Registrar, and at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris, where he is a Senior Officer.
Crest
The stag symbolizes for Mr. Russell-Rivoallan justice and harmony; it is also the principal charge on the arms of the University of Southampton, where Mr. Russell-Rivoallan completed his post-graduate studies. The hand with its palm displayed represents peace; the red hand also represents Northern Ireland, an ancestral home of Mr. Russell-Rivoallan’s family, and his own left-handedness. The white rose is a symbol of Glendon College at York University in Toronto, where Mr. Russell-Rivoallan received his undergraduate education in international relations. The maple leaves and trilliums represent his Canadian and Ontarian heritage.
Motto
This is a reference to “Che sara sara”, a motto associated with the Russell family in Great Britain. It expresses Mr. Russell-Rivoallan’s firm conviction that destiny is not pre-ordained, but that it can be changed for the better.