- 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.
City of Fort William
Fort William, Ontario
Registration of Arms and Supporters
January 15, 2024
Vol. VIII, p. 253
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Per fess Argent and Azure on a fess per pale Or and Argent a stag’s head caboshed Sable attired Gules and a lake trout naiant proper, all between in chief a birchbark canoe therein a European man and seven Canadian voyageurs the latter with their paddles in action proper in the stern a flag Gules inscribed NW, and in base a lymphad sail furled, flagged and with oars in action Or;
Crest
A beaver gnawing at the trunk of a tree proper the branches thereof enfiled by a scroll Argent bearing the word PERSEVERANCE in letters Gules, all issuant from a mural crown proper;
Supporters
Dexter a voyageur holding a paddle, sinister an Ojibwe man holding a club, both standing on a representation of the Nor’Wester Mountains proper;
Motto
A POSSE AD ESSE;
Symbolism
Arms
The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The design uses elements from an attributed coat of arms for the North West Company, a notable fur-trading enterprise, and the arms granted to William McGillivray, the city’s namesake and the last chief partner of the Company. This marks the fact that Fort William was an important fur trading post for the company in the early decades of the 19th century.
Crest
The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The beaver, tree and scroll with the word “Perseverance” are the crest of William McGillivray, and were also used with the draft arms of the North West Company. The mural crown is often used to identify a municipality.
Supporters
The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The supporters likely allude to the city’s history as a starting point of the canoe routes to Western Canada, as well as to its status as a fur trading post in the early 19th century.
Motto
This Latin phrase means “From possibility to reality.”
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on January 1, 1900, in Volume 0, page 0 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Original concept of the College of Arms, London.
Painter
Artist of the College of Arms, London / Artiste du Collège d’armes, Londres
Calligrapher
* Not available / Non disponible
Recipient Information
Civil Institution
Government
The recipient’s emblems were originally recorded at the College of Arms, London, England, 5 December 1966.