- 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.
Ernest Léger
Dieppe, New Brunswick
Grant of Arms
December 17, 1996
Vol. III, p. 142
Click on each image to enlarge. The blazon and symbolism for each element will accompany the enlarged image.
Blazon
Arms
Argent a saltire Sable charged in centre point with a mullet Or between in chief a scallop Gules in dexter and sinister flanks a rose Gules seeded Or barbed Vert and in base a sprig of violets (Viola cuculata) stemmed and leaved proper;
Motto
SUFFICIT TIBI GRATIA MEA;
Symbolism
Arms
The saltire, relating to the cross of Saint Andrew, is a frequent symbol in the arms of the Johnson families. Here, Archbishop Léger uses it to pay homage to his mother and to his uncle, the late Father Camille Johnson, who was a priest at the Cathedral in Moncton. The star is a Marian symbol referring to the Maris Stella, the star of the sea, which is associated with the Virgin of the Assumption, patron saint of Archbishop Léger’s archdiocese and of Acadia. The shell in the arms recalls both the Mi’kmaqs of New-Brunswick and the birthplace of the Archbishop, Cormier Village, in the Parish of Haute-Aboujagane in New Brunswick The parish’s name was given in 1812 as Naboujagan by Monseigneur Plessis, Archbishop of Quebec, and it seems to have been a misnomer for Naposang, Mi’kmaq for “the rope is covered with shells”. The rose, another Marian emblem, recalls the first ancestor in Archbishop Léger’s paternal line, Jacques Léger dit La Rosette. The violet, likewise a Marian emblem, is the floral emblem of New Brunswick, the province where the Archdiocese of Moncton is located.
Motto
This means “My grace is sufficient for thee” (II Cor. 12:9).
Background
Canada Gazette Information
The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on November 22, 1997, in Volume 131, page 3589 of the Canada Gazette.
Artist Information
Creator(s)
Original concept of Robert Pichette, Dauphin Herald Extraordinary, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Painter
Linda Nicholson
Calligrapher
* Not applicable / Sans objet
Recipient Information
Individual