- The Governor General of Canada
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Raphaël Francis Melançon
Saint-Charles-Borromé, Quebec
Grant of Arms and Flag
December 15, 2011
Vol. VI, p. 89
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Blazon
Arms
Per bend flory Argent and Purpure, two dolphins counterchanged;
Crest
Issuant from a coronet of mullets and roses Or, a demi-Arctic fox gorged with a ceinture fléchée proper holding in its dexter paw an apple and in its sinister paw a hammer Purpure;
Motto
AD ASTRA PER ASPERA;
Symbolism
Arms
Purple, the median colour between red and blue, suggests the historic colours of England and France. White represents winter, Mr. Melançon’s favourite season. The dolphin symbolizes his astrological sign (Pisces) and the Dauphin River (today called the Annapolis River, in Nova Scotia) where his ancestors, Charles Melanson dit LaRamée and Marie Dugas, settled in 1664. Located near Port Royal (today Annapolis Royal), this site is now known as the Melanson Settlement, a national historic site of Canada. The dolphin also figures on the arms of the Dauphin of France, the eldest son of the King in France of the ancien régime, and is thus a reference to Mr. Melançon’s political studies and his passion for history. A social and intelligent animal, it also has an extraordinary ability to communicate, thus reflecting Mr. Melançon’s profession as a journalist. The division in the form of fleurs-de-lis honours his ancestor, Pierre Melanson dit Laverdure, a French Huguenot who, during the reign of Louis XIII, found refuge in England following the siege of La Rochelle by Cardinal Richelieu. The fleurs-de-lis also refers to Quebec, Mr. Melançon’s province of birth.
Crest
The Arctic fox represents winter. The apple symbolizes knowledge and education. They are both found on other arms associated with Melançons. The blacksmith hammer (marteau de forgeron in French) honours Mr. Melançon’s maternal ancestors, the Forgets. As a symbol of builders and construction contractors, it also celebrates his father and grandfather. The Assomption sash is found on the arms of the municipality of Sainte-Marie-Salomé, Quebec, which Mr. Melançon’s ancestors co-founded in 1888. The roses in the coronet pay tribute to Priscilla Mellanson, English bride of Pierre Laverdure, whose surname he adopted. The star represents Acadia, where the Melançons settled, as well as the heavens and Mr. Melançon’s Christian faith.
Motto
Meaning “To the stars through difficulties”, this motto refers to the difficulties experienced by Mr. Melançon’s ancestors before settling in Acadia, which is symbolized by a star, and during the Deportation. It thus conveys the importance of persevering to achieve one’s objectives and facing difficulties with courage and determination.