The Viceregal Lion
  1. The Governor General of Canada
Heraldry Today

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Claude Joseph Bourret

Montreal, Quebec
Grant of Arms
March 15, 2000
Vol. IV, p. 13

Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.


Blazon

Arms

Gyronny Or and Azure a lion Gules armed and langued Azure charged on the shoulder with a fleur-de-lis Or;

Crest

A demi lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure charged on the shoulder with a locomotive wheel Or and holding between the paws a fagot also Or bound Azure;

Flag

A banner of the Arms;

Motto

DISCENDO ET PERSEVERANDO CRESCO;


Symbolism

Arms

The gyronny gold and blue pattern comes from the old arms of Charlesbourg, Quebec, the ancestral home of the forbear known as Gilles Bourée dit Lépine. It also mirrors the geographic pattern of the town’s lands. The two lions in the Arms and Crest recall the ancestor’s native Normandy, in France. The fleur-de-lis refers to royal France and to the military calling of Gilles Bourée.

Crest

The bundle of sticks (bourrée in French) refers to the origins of the family name, originally given to people who worked as fagotiers, or bundlers of wood. The locomotive wheel designates Mr. Bourret’s profession as an employee of Canadian Pacific Railway.

Flag

The symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record.

Motto

This Latin phrase means “I grow through learning and perseverance”.


Background

Canada Gazette Information

The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on March 24, 2001, in Volume 135, page 937 of the Canada Gazette.


Artist Information

Creator(s)
Original concept of Claude Bourret and Auguste Vachon, Saint-Laurent Herald, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

Painter
Debra MacGarvie

Calligrapher
Judith Bainbridge


Recipient Information

Individual

View all Letters Patent for Claude Joseph Bourret