Heraldry
The Officers and Heralds of Arms and
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Herald Chancellor |
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 Sheila-Marie Cook (2006- ) |
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| Léopold Amyot (1988-1990) |
Judith Ann Larocque C.V.O. (1990-2000) |
Barbara Uteck C.V.O. (2000-2006) |
The position of Deputy Herald Chancellor is held by the Deputy Secretary to the Governor General, who is also the head of the Chancellery of Honours, responsible for the administration of the Canadian honours system.
The strong links and similarity of duties between this office and that of the Herald Chancellor are emphasized in these arms. The main elements of the design of the arms and batons of office remain the same, with the addition of the border to the arms and the change of the colours from gold to white to distinguish them. The arms illustrated here are marshalled with the personal arms of the Deputy Herald Chancellor.
| Deputy Herald Chancellor | ||
 Emmanuelle Sajous (2005- ) |
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| LGen François Richard, C.M.M. (1988-1992) |
LGen James C. Gervais, C.M.M. (1993-2004) |
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The Chief Herald of Canada directs the operations of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and makes the grants of arms (with the exception of certain grants made directly by the Governor General).
The colours of these arms are the official colours of Canada, red and white. In the centre is a small shield, emblematic of heraldry itself, bearing a maple leaf. Because the office of Chief Herald is a counterpart to the Kings of Arms in the Crown's older heraldic authorities, the inner shield is ensigned with a white maple leaf coronet, the rim of which is set with red jewels. The batons of office feature these same arms and a decorative band of blue, representing the great rivers of Canada, charged with white maple leaves.
| Chief Herald of Canada |
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| Robert D. Watt (1988- ) |
The Deputy Chief Herald seconds the Chief Herald of Canada with the direction of the operations of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
| Deputy Chief Herald of Canada |
| Claire Boudreau (2005- ) |
Heralds are part of the Public Service of Canada and work full-time at the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
The heralds of arms, responsible to the Chief Herald, are each assigned a badge of office. The heralds' titles are taken from the names of significant Canadian rivers. Following the tradition of older heraldic authorities, heralds' titles are territorial designations, although it should be noted that the heralds serve the entire country and are not limited to the region of their title.
Saint-Laurent Herald
Saint-Laurent Herald is the Registrar of the Authority, responsible for its records, especially the Public Register of
Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada.
The gridiron symbol of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, the namesake of Eastern Canada's greatest and most historic river, is shown enflamed beneath a blue cross, the ends of which terminate in fleurs-de-lis, symbol of Royal France, New France and Quebec.
Athabaska Herald
The Wild Rose, floral emblem of the province of Alberta, is placed over two traditional Athapascan copper knives, honouring
this native linguistic group and the great river and region of Northwestern Canada, which share various spellings of this
name. This title is currently not in use.
Fraser Herald
Fraser Herald is the Principal Artist of the Authority, responsible for overseeing the artwork created for the grants
of arms.
The badge combines symbolism of the sun and water, indicating that the Fraser River is the most important river in British Columbia, which features a sun on its provincial arms. Traditionally, water is depicted in heraldry by white and blue wavy stripes, and the substitution here of gold for white makes a reference to the gold deposits in the Fraser River, which led to the Cariboo gold rush. At the centre of the badge is a cinquefoil, a stylized heraldic flower of five petals. As this is a feature of coats of arms within the Scottish Clan Fraser, it pays tribute to the river's namesake, the explorer Simon Fraser.
Saguenay Herald
Saguenay Herald is the Assistant Registrar of the Authority, and, as such, assists Saint-Laurent Herald. Together they
also have specific responsibilities for the bilingual texts of the grant and registration documents.
The badge represents, in a stylized form, a blueberry, with its heart composed of four small crowns. Blueberries are a famous feature of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, the inhabitants of which are affectionately known as "Bleuets." The four crowns in cross make reference to the "Kingdom" myth of the Saguenay region from the time of Jacques Cartier and Roberval.
Assiniboine Herald
The design is based on the meaning of the word "Assiniboine," an Ojibway term describing the practice of boiling food by
dropping heated rocks into water. The black circle represents the rim of a pot, looking from the top down. The red illustrates
the heat from the rocks in the pot.
Miramichi Herald
The Mi’kmaq star refers to the name Miramichi, which means “Land of the Mi’kmaq”, and honours the
first inhabitants of New Brunswick. The white (north), yellow (east), red (south) and black (west) signify the four sacred
directions and human races. The double lines around the star produce the adapted design for use by Miramichi Herald and
also recall the porcupine quill decoration used by the Mi’kmaq Nation.
Coppermine Herald
Coppermine Herald is the Assistant Artist of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
The ulu is a traditional Inuit knife that has existed for over 4000 years. It honours the northern people and land. Its copper colour refers to the title Coppermine Herald.
The honorary position of Herald Emeritus is one to which a retired herald may be appointed in recognition of particular notable service to heraldry. On occasion, a Herald Emeritus can perform duties on behalf of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Outaouais Herald Emeritus
The green disc evokes the natural setting of the Outaouais region, and the three white shields with their bases pointing
to the centre are significant in several ways. From a historical point of view, they refer to the tradition the Outaouais
(a tribe of the Algonquin family) shared with the Ojibway and the Potawatomi that at one time these three groups had formed
a single tribe. From a geographical point of view, they refer to the Ottawa River and the two other rivers of the National
Capital Region (the Rideau River and the Gatineau River), which were the primary routes used by early explorers of this
region. Finally, they represent in a general way the three great divisions of time: the past, the present, and the future.
Like Heralds Emeritus, Heralds Extraordinary are honorary positions held by individuals who have made particularly notable contributions to Canadian heraldry. On occasion, they can perform duties on behalf of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Dauphin Herald Extraordinary
The two main components of the badge are a blue heraldic dolphin displayed on a stylization of a Mi'kmaq trade silver
brooch of the type made for fur traders in the 17th and 18th centuries and traded to many of the First Nations. The badge
is outlined with a wavy band of blue, referring both to the waters of the Rivière Dauphin (the former name of the Annapolis
River) and more widely to the seas, lakes and rivers of Atlantic Canada.
Niagara Herald Extraordinary
The badge is placed on a red compass rose of sixteen points. As a compass shows direction, it indicates nationwide or
even international outreach. It can refer to the Niagara River itself and its location at the centre of the Great Lakes/St.
Lawrence River transportation system. Also, it indicates the national and international reach of heraldry. At the centre
of the badge are three wavy stripes that indicate flowing water. As they are shown vertically, they make a reference not
only to the south-to-north direction of the Niagara River, but also to its most famous feature, the Niagara Falls.
Cowichan Herald Extraordinary
The design is based on the word "Cowichan," which means "place warmed by the sun." The two animals in the centre, depicted
in the Salish style, are based on a design by Cowichan artist Wayne Charlie. They are a horned dog, Wagaas, and an eagle,
Yuhwala, two of the most important creatures from traditional Cowichan teachings.
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Saint-Laurent Herald Claire Boudreau Auguste Vachon |
Fraser Herald Cathy Bursey-Sabourin (1989- ) |
Athabaska Herald Charles Maier (1988-2001) |
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Saguenay Herald Bruce Patterson (2000- ) Claire Boudreau (1997-2000) |
Assiniboine Herald |
Miramichi Herald Karine Constantineau (2003- ) |
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Coppermine Herald Catherine Fitzpatrick (2003- ) |
Outaouais Herald Emeritus Auguste Vachon (2000- ) Hull, Quebec |
Dauphin Herald Extraordinary Robert Pichette (1995- ) Moncton, New Brunswick |
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Niagara Herald Extraordinary Gordon Macpherson Burlington, Ontario |
Cowichan Herald Extraordinary Graham Anderson (1999- ) Cowichan Bay, British Columbia |
