Canadian heraldry

Canadian heraldry is the tradition and style of coats of arms and other special designs in Canada. It includes arms used by the country, each province, cities, noble families, people, churches, and even companies. These designs often appear as logos or symbols.

This tradition comes mostly from France and the United Kingdom, but it also uses special Canadian symbols. These include plants and animals that are native to Canada, ideas from Indigenous peoples, and unique designs like the Canadian pale, which comes from the Canadian flag.

In 1988, Canada started its own system for giving out coats of arms. Now, the Canadian Heraldic Authority has the sole right to grant these symbols. Coats of arms are used by all levels of government and are signs of authority. Anyone in Canada, including people, businesses, and religious groups, can ask for a coat of arms. Getting one is considered an honor.

History

Before Europeans came, the Indigenous peoples of Canada used special artwork to show their groups or important stories. For the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, this included carvings on totem poles, longhouses, and small wooden objects. The Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains used hide painting on tipis and shields.

European-style coats of arms in Canada started in 1534 when Jacques Cartier raised the royal arms of France on the Gaspé Peninsula. Early coats of arms came from France or were given by the French crown. One early example is the coat of arms of Nova Scotia, given in 1625 by Charles I. After Canada became part of Britain in 1763, there wasn’t much heraldry until 1867, when Canada formed its own country. After that, more coats of arms were created for places and groups. For many years, Canada used authorities in Britain for heraldry, but in the late 1980s, Canada created its own heraldic authority.

Modern heraldry

Official

Main article: Canadian Heraldic Authority

Before Canada had its own special office, people who wanted a unique coat of arms needed to ask for one from offices in the United Kingdom. This process was slow and expensive, and sometimes the people in charge didn’t know much about Canada.

In 1988, Canada made the Canadian Heraldic Authority. This made Canada the first country outside the United Kingdom to have its own office for creating coats of arms. Now, everyone in Canada can have a coat of arms with special symbols that mean a lot to them.

State and national

Main article: Arms of Canada

The royal arms of Canada are the official coat of arms for the country and the Canadian monarch. They show special Canadian symbols like maple leaves. These arms are used by government leaders, courts, and on Canadian passports.

Each province and territory also has its own coat of arms with symbols important to that area. These coats of arms often appear on the flags of the provinces and territories.

Provincial

Main article: List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols

Like the country, each province and territory in Canada has its own special coat of arms. These arms include symbols that are important to each place. Many of these coats of arms are shown on the flags of the provinces and territories.

Municipal

Many Canadian cities also have their own coats of arms. These are often created by the city governments themselves.

Personal

In Canada, anyone can ask for a special coat of arms. People who receive certain honors, like the Order of Canada, automatically get a special design for their coat of arms.

Unique Canadian elements and practices

Canadian heraldry includes special symbols from Indigenous cultures. For example, the coat of arms of Nunavut shows an inukshuk, a qulliq, and an igloo. These represent the Inuit people of the area. The arms of the Canadian Heraldic Authority feature ravens, a symbol important to First Nations peoples.

Canada has its own ways to show family connections in coats of arms. Canadian heraldry allows women to inherit and pass on family symbols equally with men. Special designs called coronets can be used by families from people who remained loyal to Britain during the American revolution. These coronets have maple leaves, showing their Canadian heritage.

The Canadian pale, a wide vertical stripe from the country's flag, is a common feature in Canadian coats of arms. Animals and birds, like ravens and maple leaves, are also popular symbols. People can choose creative helmets for their coats of arms, like an astronaut’s helmet or a parka hood.

	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth	Seventh	Eighth	Ninth
Daughter
	heart	ermine spot	snowflake	fir twig	chess rook	escallop	harp	buckle	clarion
Son
	label of three points	crescent	mullet	martlet	annulet	fleur-de-lys	rose	cross moline	double quatrefoil

Obtaining arms

See also: Grant process

Anyone in Canada, whether a person or a company, can ask the Crown for special symbols called arms. To get these symbols, a person must send a request to the Chief Herald with a story about themselves, references, and filled-out forms. If approved, they work with experts to design their symbols. After this, official papers called letters patent are made and given to the person. There are fees to help cover the costs of research and art, but these fees are not for buying the symbols — they are for the work that goes into creating them. Companies and institutions follow a similar process.

People and groups who already have symbols from other countries can ask the Canadian Heraldic Authority to register them. This costs nothing and takes about three months, which is faster than getting new symbols, which can take about twelve to fourteen months.