- The Governor General of Canada
The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.
Mathieu Gérard Ravignat
Cantley, Quebec
Grant of a Crest and Flags
April 20, 2012
Vol. VI, p. 137
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Paly Or and Sable a lion rampant Gules charged with a crescent Or;
Crest
Issuant from a coronet of fleurs-de-lis and escallops Or a demi-lion guardant Sable holding in the dexter paw a rose Gules barbed and slipped Vert;
Motto
FORTITUDO IN AMORE ET PROELIO;
Flag
A standard, the Arms in hoist, the fly Argent charged with the Crest between two representations of the Badge, as granted to him by the Chief Herald of Canada on the 15th day of March 2011, all separated by two bends sinister Or edged and inscribed FORTITUDO IN AMORE ET PROELIO in letters Sable;
Flag
A banner of the Arms;
Symbolism
Arms
The principal colours, black and gold, appear in the arms of the Holy Roman Empire, its medieval fiefdom of Namur, and the village of Andenne, these places being respectively the earliest location of the name Ravignat, the source of the name in Belgium, and the modern village of Mr. Ravignat’s Belgian family. The red lion refers to the etymology of the name, old Germanic for “son of a powerful warrior”. It symbolizes courage and readiness to defend, and is also the main charge on the coat of arms of Belgium, Namur and Andenne. Red is also the main colour on the arms of the Seigneur de Bierwart, Bierwart being the place where the name Ravignat was first recorded. For the Canadian branch of the family, the lion is linked to the ancestor Ernest Ravignat, who, as a stone mason in the early 1900s, carved heraldic lions at several Canadian public buildings.
The crescent distinguishes his arms as the second branch of the family.
Crest
The fleurs-de-lis in the coronet identify the family’s francophone heritage. Scallop shells symbolize a pilgrimage. The lion evokes the lion in the arms of the medieval fiefdom of Namur, in present-day Belgium, from where the Ravignat family originates. The rose in a fist is the international symbol for social democracy, alluding to Mr. Ravignat’s ideals as a Canadian parliamentarian.
Motto
Meaning “Courage in love and battle”.
Flag
The symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record.
Flag
The symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record.
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on November 3, 2012, in Volume 146, page 3053 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Original concept of Darrel Kennedy, Assiniboine Herald, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Painter
Eva Pilar-Cass
Calligrapher
Shirley Mangione
Recipient Information
Individual
The recipient's emblems were originally recorded in the name of his father, Gilles Éric Ravignat, in the Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada, Volume VI, page 33, 15 March 2011.