- The Governor General of Canada
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Elizabeth Anne Mikel
Cobourg, Ontario
Grant of Arms and Badge
November 15, 2001
Vol. IV, p. 135
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Blazon
Arms
Argent three bends Azure each charged in the centre with a rose Argent barbed and seeded Or, in dexter chief a heart Argent;
Crest
Issuant from a Loyalist military coronet Or, a demi Scottish terrier Sable holding a rod of Aesculapius Argent gorged with a collar compony Argent and Azure charged with a trillium Argent;
Motto
VERBUM MAXIMI MOMENTI EST LABOR;
Symbolism
Arms
The arms are based on those designed by Ms. Mikel’s late father, Dr. Donald Edward Mikel. The colours blue and white are those of his alma mater, the University of Toronto. The blue diagonal stripes represent his three children, and the roses indicate that each child was born in Cobourg, Ontario, as these roses appear in the arms of the city. The silver heart is added to indicate that Elizabeth is his eldest daughter.
Crest
The Scottish terrier is a tribute to Ms. Mikel’s late mother, Yvonne Gwendolyn Dixon, who had a fondness for this breed. The rod of Aesculapius indicates her father’s medical profession. The Loyalist military coronet alludes to his descent from Loyalist soldiers. The trillium on the dog’s collar represents Ontario.
Motto
Meaning “The master word is work”, the motto is a Latin translation of a phrase from a speech to medical students by Sir William Osler, the famous physician. He had been asked to speak on the “Royal Road to Learning”. He spoke instead on the “Master Word”, for he said “There is no royal road to learning and the master word is work”.