- The Governor General of Canada
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Association des Pilet dit Jolicoeur
Sainte-Croix, Quebec
Grant of Arms and Supporters
April 15, 2024
Vol. VIII, p. 274
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Azure four spearheads in cross their sockets conjoined between four hearts their points inwards Or;
Crest
A demi-sun in splendour Or charged with a June beetle Azure;
Supporters
Dexter a female wolf guardant holding in its paw a blue flag flower, sinister a male wolf guardant supporting on its shoulder a musket proper, both standing on a woodland Or;
Motto
À LA HAUTEUR DE MON SURNOM;
Symbolism
Arms
Blue and gold are the colours of the French royal arms and highlight the French ancestry of the Association’s members. The pilum (Roman javelin) tip suggests a possible etymological origin of the name Pilet. Also evoking the tip of a halberd, it represents the original ancestor of the Pilet dit Jolicoeur family in New France, Louis Pilet, who made a career in the 18th century as a soldier and then a sergeant attached to the French compagnies franches de la Marine. The compass rose arrangement of the four points symbolizes this ancestor’s spirit of adventure. The hearts recall his new life in New France, where he was given the dit name Jolicoeur, meaning “beautiful heart,” which in time became a name in its own right. The hearts also convey generosity, an ideal virtue to be fostered within the Association.
Crest
Called a barbeau in some parts of Quebec, the June beetle is a pun on the surname of Louis Pilet’s wife, Thérèse Barbot dit Boisdoré. Her dit name, meaning “golden woods,” is said to have come from the name given to the fief of her French ancestors, owing to the colour of the surrounding forest at dawn, represented here by the rising sun.
Supporters
The wolf with the musket represents the soldier Louis Pilet, while the wolf with the blue flag iris, Quebec’s provincial flower, pays tribute to his wife, Thérèse. The female and male wolves thus symbolize the couple. They also represent the team spirit of the members of the Association today, because wolves are known for their ability to work closely together in all things. The wolves’ forward-looking gaze beckons to new generations. Here again, the golden woods represent the Boisdoré dit name of Louis Pilet’s wife.
Motto
This French phrase means “Living up to my name.”
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 Fabienne Fusade, Miramichi Herald, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Painter
Desirée Kern
Calligrapher
Kathy Feig
Recipient Information
Civil Institution
Family Association