- The Governor General of Canada
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Odile Gravereaux Calder
Ottawa, Ontario
Grant of Arms, Flag and Badge, with differences to Robert Alexandre Calder
May 16, 2001
Vol. IV, p. 119
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Blazon
Arms
Azure a rose Argent seeded Or barbed Vert within a tressure flory inward Argent;
Crest
Issuant from a plessis Argent, a shrub of lavender proper;
Motto
IL FAUT CULTIVER NOTRE JARDIN;
Symbolism
Arms
The colours and the fleurs-de-lis reflect Odile Calder’s French origin and blue is her favourite colour. The rose represents her love of gardens and also honours her family’s achievements in the cultivation of roses.
Crest
Lavender is Odile Calder’s favourite plant. The stems are set on a circlet composed of a plessis in white birch. A plessis (wattle) is a structure commonly found in medieval gardens and is used here in heraldry for the first time.
Motto
This is a quote from the end of Voltaire’s Candide. It translates roughly as “We must cultivate our garden.” It reflects her love of gardens and, metaphorically, her approach to life.