- 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.
The Municipality of the County of Halifax
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Registration of Arms
April 15, 2020
Vol. VII, p. 244
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Argent eight barrulets wavy Azure surmounted by six piles in bend Vert;
Motto
ECUM SECUM TO HUBBARDS;
Symbolism
Arms
The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The arms likely refer to the geography of the County of Halifax, with the blue and white wavy stripes alluding to the County’s location along the Atlantic shoreline and the green jutting pikes representing its jagged shoreline of headlands, bays and harbours. The coronet of green points and golden wheat sheaves was used by the Court of the Lord Lyon between 1951 and 1975 to designate a county.
Motto
This phrase highlights the geographical scope of the County, which stretches from the rural community of Ecum Secum located on its easternmost boundary to that of Hubbards in the west.
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on March 27, 2021, in Volume 155, page 1316 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Original concept of Forbes Thrasher.
Painter
* Not applicable / Sans objet
Calligrapher
* Not applicable / Sans objet
Recipient Information
Civil Institution
Government
The recipient’s emblems were originally recorded in the records of the Court of the Lord Lyon, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1 May 1953.
Image provided by the Halifax Regional Municipality.