- The Governor General of Canada
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Association des familles Lejeune dit Briard
Montréal, Quebec
Grant of Arms
April 15, 2014
Vol. VI, p. 350
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Blazon
Arms
Azure on a cross nowy Argent between 1st and 4th a fleur-de-lis and 2nd and 3rd a mullet Or, a tower Gules;
Crest
A bald eagle proper wings elevated and addorsed holding in its beak a stalk of hay Or and standing on the deck of a ship Azure;
Motto
BRIARD UN JOUR LEJEUNE TOUJOURS;
Symbolism
Arms
The blue, white, red and yellow honour the Acadian flag and the ancestor Pierre Lejeune dit Briard, who arrived in Acadia in 1651. The lilies represent France, his mother country, and the stars represent Acadia, his adopted homeland. The cross underscores the Acadian ancestors’ faith in God and in their return to Acadia from Quebec and Louisiana. The tower recalls the castles of the coats of arms of the ancient province of Brie, in France, the birthplace of Pierre Lejeune dit Briard, notably those of the communes of Provins, Brie-Comte-Robert and Château-Thierry.
Crest
The bald eagle, a bird indigenous to the Maritimes, represents the strength, courage and bravery of the Acadians who were subjected to deportation from 1755 to 1762. The eagle is also a sacred bird for the Mi’kmaq, and represents the marriage between Martin Lejeune, the son of Pierre Lejeune dit Briard, and Jeanne Kagigconiac of the Mi’kmaq Nation. The stalk of hay evokes the hope of bountiful harvests for the Acadian ancestors. The ship’s deck alludes to the Deportation and thus pays tribute to the hope and tenacity of the Acadian deportees.
Motto
This phrase means “Once Briard, always Lejeune”.