 | |
| Heraldic tradition | Gallo-British |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Canadian Heraldic Authority |
| Chief officer | Samy Khalid,Chief Herald of Canada |
Canadian heraldry is the cultural tradition and style ofcoats of arms and otherheraldic achievements in both modern and historicCanada. It includesnational, provincial, and civic arms,noble and personal arms,ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays as corporatelogos, and Canadianblazonry.
Derived mainly from heraldic traditions inFrance and theUnited Kingdom, Canadian heraldry also incorporates distinctlyCanadian symbols, especially nativeflora andfauna, references to theIndigenous peoples of Canada, and uniquely Canadian elements such as theCanadian pale, derived from theCanadian flag. A unique system ofcadency is used for daughters inheriting arms, and a special symbol forUnited Empire Loyalists.
In 1988, governance of both personal and corporate heraldry in Canada was patriated from the heraldic authorities inEngland andScotland, with the formation of theCanadian Heraldic Authority, which now has exclusive jurisdiction over granting awards of arms in Canada. Coats of arms are used throughout Canada by all levels of government, in many cases including royal insignia as a mark of authority, as in the recently granted arms of the House of Commons and the Senate, and of Parliament as a combined body. Use of armorial bearings is not limited to governmental bodies; all citizens of Canada have the right to petition for an award of arms, as do other entities including businesses and religious institutions. The granting of arms is regarded as an honour from theking of Canada, via his viceregal representative, thegovernor general of Canada, and thus are generally bestowed only on those whom thechief herald has deemed worthy of receiving agrant of arms.
Before the arrival of Europeans, theIndigenous peoples of Canada used symbolic artwork to denote their allegiance to a particularclan orpantribal sodalities, and to show legendary and religious themes. For theIndigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast this would be done with carvings ontotem poles. carvings integrated intolonghouses and smaller wooden objects like boxes, masks, and canoes. For theIndigenous peoples of the Great Plains thehide painting tradition painted images onto tipis, shields, and other animal-hide objects.[1]
The history of European-style heraldry in Canada began with the raising of theroyal arms of France (modern) by French explorerJacques Cartier in 1534, when he landed on Canadian soil at what is now known as theGaspé Peninsula.[2] From the beginning of thesettlement of Canada until theTreaty of Paris in 1763, armorial bearings were largely either brought from France or awarded by theFrench crown. A notable exception is thecoat of arms of Nova Scotia, awarded in 1625 byCharles I (making it the oldest coat of arms in the Commonwealth outside the United Kingdom[3]), in use until 1868, when it was replaced by a new achievement.[4] The original was later rediscovered, and replaced the 1868 version in 1929.[5][6] The present-daycoat of arms of Newfoundland and Labrador was granted to a private company shortly after that of Nova Scotia, although it did not enter use as the region's arms until the 1920s.[7] The coat of arms of theHudson's Bay Company was first used in 1671 (although no record of the original grant exists, and it was not registered with the College of Arms in London until 1921[8]) and has been in continual use with minor cosmetic changes to the official depiction ever since.[9]
Upon ratification of the Treaty of Paris, theBritish Crown confirmed the French awards of arms.[2] Between 1763 and 1867, the year ofCanadian Confederation, there is little evidence of much heraldic activity.[2] After Confederation, however, heraldry in Canada became more widespread, including grants of arms to the provinces, various educational institutions, municipalities, and individuals.[2] In the immediate post-Confederation period, arms were granted toNew Brunswick,[10]Nova Scotia,[5]Ontario,[11] andQuebec,[12] although not to the country as a whole.[4] In the period between the Treaty of Paris and Confederation, theArms of the United Kingdom had served as the emblem of authority within Canada.[4]
From 1763 until 1988, heraldry in Canada was under the authority of theCollege of Arms in London and theCourt of the Lord Lyon inEdinburgh. In the late 1980s, the Queen issuedletters patent authorizing the governor general to exercise her authority in heraldic matters. The governor general then established the Canadian Heraldic Authority.[2][13]
Now know Ye that We, by and with the advice of our Privy Council of Canada, do by these presents authorise and empower Our Governor General of Canada to exercise or provide for the exercise of all power and authorities lawfully belonging to Us as Queen of Canada in respect of the granting of armorial bearings in Canada.
Before the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority, Canadians wishing to obtain a legally granted coat of arms had to apply to one of the two heraldic offices in theUnited Kingdom: either the College of Arms inLondon or, if ofScottish descent, the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh.[13] This process was quite lengthy—and costly. In addition, theheralds in Britain could sometimes be unfamiliar with Canadian history and symbols.[15] In time, many Canadians with an interest in heraldry began calling for an office that would offer armorial bearings designed by and for Canadians.[16]
As early as 1967, plans were reportedly in the works to transfer overview of heraldry from the College of Arms in the UK to Canada.[17] The push for a wholly Canadian heraldic system came largely from the Heraldry Society of Canada (now theRoyal Heraldry Society of Canada[18]) almost from its inception,[19] though it was not seen as a priority by successive national governments.[16] In 1986,Vicki Huntington, a politician from British Columbia, forwarded a brief written by the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada calling for the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority to a staff member in then-Secretary of StateDavid Crombie's office.[16] Mr. Crombie had his department organize a meeting in Ottawa the following year, to which many national and international heraldic experts were invited. The meeting concluded with "a strong recommendation to government that an Authority be created."[16]
Two years later, on 4 June 1988, then-Governor GeneralJeanne Sauvé authorized the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority, made possible by letters patent signed by QueenElizabeth II, on the advice of herCanadian Privy Council, and presented by her son,Prince Edward.[13][16] As a result, Canada became the firstCommonwealth realm outside the United Kingdom to have its own heraldic authority.[13][16] Canada also provides full equality towomen in terms of inheriting and transmitting arms.[16] Additionally, allarmigers within Canada may file for trademark protection of their grant of arms under the Trade-Marks Act.[20]
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The royal arms of Canada[21] are the officialcoat of arms of theCanadian monarch and thus also ofCanada.[22][23] They incorporate many distinctive Canadian elements such as the maple leaves, and the reference to the French royal arms in the fourth quarter[24] which replace or add to those derived from the British.[25]
The arms are used as a mark of authority[26] by various government agencies and representatives, including thePrime Minister[27] andCabinet,[28] theSpeaker of the House of Commons,[29] somecourts and, formerly,Parliament, and on the cover ofCanadian passports.[30] From 1962 until her death in 2022, abanner of the arms,defaced with a variant of the Queen'scypher, formed theRoyal Standard of Canada, for use by the Canadian sovereign.[31] The personalflag of the governor general has featured the crest of the arms of Canada on a blue background since 1981.[32][33]
On 15 February 2008, theHouse of Commons was granted its own heraldic symbol following a request by Commons SpeakerPeter Milliken to the Canadian Heraldic Authority.[29] The new symbol for Parliament is a badge of the escutcheon in the Arms of Canada superimposed on themace used by the House of Commons as a symbol of its authority derived from the Crown.[34][35] TheSenate was granted a similar badge on 15 April 2008, using its own mace.[36] Parliament as a whole has been granted the right to use the escutcheon of the Arms of Canada, superimposed over the maces of the Commons and Senate insaltire.[37]
In June 2008,MPPat Martin introduced amotion into the House of Commons calling on the government to amend the coat of arms to incorporate symbols representing Canada'sFirst Nations,Inuit andMétis peoples.[38]
In much the same way that there is a national coat of arms, eachprovince and territory possesses its own unique arms;[39] Saskatchewan's is known formally as Her Majesty's Arms in Right of Saskatchewan.[40] The year after Confederation,Queen Victoria issued royal warrants assigning arms to Canada's original four provinces:Quebec,Ontario,Nova Scotia, andNew Brunswick.[4]
Eachprovincial coat of arms includes specific local symbolism;[39] most also include symbolism derived from the coats of arms of the United Kingdom, France, or both. Since 1868, each province and territory within Canada has been granted arms through warrants either from the monarch directly or from thegovernor general, or has assumed them through other means.[4]
Apart fromNewfoundland and Labrador,[41] each province and territory bears at least some elements from its coat of arms upon its flag. The flags ofBritish Columbia,[42]New Brunswick,[10]Nova Scotia,[5] andPrince Edward Island[43] are banners of the provincial arms, whileAlberta,[44]Manitoba,[45]Ontario,[11]Saskatchewan,[46] theNorthwest Territories,[47] andYukon[48] each have the shield of the local coat of arms on their flags, with other design elements. Theflag of Nunavut uses some elements from its coat of arms along with other symbols and colours.[49] The shield of the arms of each province, on a blue background and circled with ten gold maple leaves, the whole surmounted by a crown, forms the main element of theflag of the lieutenant governor of that province. Nova Scotia was the last to use theUnion Flag defaced with the shield of Nova Scotia, surrounded by green maple leaves. Quebec uses the shield on a white circle with the provincial motto inscribed below.[50]
The use of armorial bearings amongCanadian cities is inconsistent, because many of them have been assumed and brought into force by local governmental authorities, rather than granted from the Crown.[51] Many municipal coats of arms either awarded or confirmed by the Canadian Heraldic Authority may be found within thePublic Register of Arms, though the online version of the Register is not complete.[52]
In Canada, everycitizen has the right to petition the Crown for a grant of arms.[53] Canadians who have been appointed to theOrder of Canada are automatically entitled to receive an award of arms including theribbon of the Order, or should they already be armigerous, to encircle their extant arms with the ribbon.[54] Amongst others, all members of thePrivy Council are entitled tosupporters in their arms, as are the Speakers of the House of Commons and theSenate, Companions of the Order of Canada, Commanders of the Orders ofMilitary Merit,Merit of the Police Forces, and of theRoyal Victorian Order.[54][55]
Due to the history of Canada, heraldry in the country has incorporated indigenous symbols and elements.[56] Thecoat of arms of Nunavut,[49] for example, includes elements such as aninukshuk, aqulliq, and anigloo, all of which are references to the Inuit who live in the area,[57][58] while the arms of the Canadian Heraldic Authority includeravens, a First Nations symbol of creation and transformation.[53] In addition, some Canadians choose to bear their arms on a roundel rather than a shield, a reference to a drumhead; an example is the coat of arms of Nunavut.
In many systems of heraldry, the arms of each living person must be unique. English heraldry has used armorial variants to distinguish the arms of brothers from their father's arms and from each other since the 13th century;[59] this is now normally done by the system of marks orbrisures set up by the early Tudor heraldJohn Writhe.[60] Canada adds a unique series of brisures for use by female children who inherit arms. As in other heraldic systems, these cadency marks are not always used;[55] in any case, when the heir succeeds (in Canada, this is normally the first child, whether male or female, according to strictprimogeniture; however, the grantee may choose another person as heir), the mark of cadency is removed and the heir uses the plain coat of arms.[61]
| First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth | Seventh | Eighth | Ninth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daughter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | .png) |
| heart | ermine spot | snowflake | fir twig | chess rook | escallop | harp | buckle | clarion | |
| Son |  |  | .svg) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| label of three points | crescent | mullet | martlet | annulet | fleur-de-lys | rose | cross moline | doublequatrefoil[N 1] |
TheCanadian Pale, apale division amounting to half the entire field, derived from theCanadian flag, is widely used in Canadian heraldry, while the Canadianfess, a similar horizontal division, has been used once.[62][63] The termérablé, referring to maple leaves, is often used in Canadian arms. For example, as atressure érablé[64] in the arms of theMonarchist League of Canada,[65]coronets érablé in the arms ofSudbury[66] andCanada's National History Society,[67] and as a partition much likeengrailed ordancetty.[63][68]
Canadian animals and birds, both real and fantastical, have also been widely used in arms, including the mythical raven-bears in the arms of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.[63] Other uniquely Canadian symbols also appear in Canadian grants of armorial bearings, including theheraldic mark of the prime minister of Canada and the Canadian Royal Crown.[69]
In both the English[60] and the Scottish[61] systems of heraldry, from which the Canadian draws many of its practices,[16] a woman does not inherit or transmit arms unless she is anheraldic heiress,[70] that is, a daughter of an armiger who has no sons. In Canadian heraldry, by contrast, women may inherit arms on an equal basis with their brothers (if any).[16] Women in Canada may also transmit their arms to their heirs, regardless of gender.[16] This system of equality for men and women is a result of provisions in theCanadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,[16] which guarantee, among other things, freedom from discrimination under the law on the basis of sex.[71]
Those who are descended from the citizens loyal to the British Crown who fled the United States during and shortly after therevolution are known in Canada asUnited Empire Loyalists,[72] and are entitled to the use of specialcoronets within their arms, if arms are granted to them.[73] There are two versions of the Loyalist coronet: the civil, which is made up of alternating oak and maple leaves, and the military, made up of maple leaves alternating with crossed swords;[62] the latter is reserved for use by the families of those who served in the British military during the revolution.[73] Proof of United Empire Loyalist ancestry must be provided to the Canadian Heraldic Authority before permission is granted to use the coronet in arms.[55] Unlike the common use of coronets in heraldry,[74][75] the Loyalist coronet denotes no rank of nobility or royalty, but instead alludes to ancestral allegiance.[73]
In Canadian heraldry, helmets play little role and are not blazoned; as such, the armiger can display their helm in whatever style they choose. One notable example of a non-traditional helmet used in Canadian heraldry is the arms ofJulie Payette, Governor General 2017–2021, which bears anastronaut's helmet as the helm.[76] Other examples includenasal helmets,[77]Corinthian helmets,[78] andparka hoods.[79]
All citizens of Canada, as well as corporate bodies, may petition the Crown for an award of arms.[53] For an individual to obtain a grant of arms, a petition must be sent to theChief Herald, providing a biography, references, and completed application forms. If the grant is approved, the individual then consults with heralds from the Authority to work out the design of their award. Upon completion of this process, the grant documents, in the form of letters patent, are created and provided to the grantee. The entire process is subject to certain fees required by theGovernment of Canada to cover costs of research and artwork; the fees are not to purchase the grant of arms. Forcorporations and institutions the process is similar.[53]
Those individuals and institutions who are already armigerous through recognized heraldic authorities worldwide may apply to the Canadian Heraldic Authority to have their arms registered. There is no cost associated with application for registration, and it takes less time, approximately three months,[80] than application for a new award of arms, which takes approximately twelve to fourteen months.[53]
Boutell Fox Davies.
heraldic heiress.
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