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Canadian Heraldic Authority

The coat of arms of the Authority
Abbreviation	CHA
Formation	4 June 1988
Purpose	Administration of Canadian heraldic honours
Headquarters	Rideau Hall, Ottawa
Region served	Canada
Official language	English, French
Chief Herald	Claire Boudreau
Website	CHA

The Canadian Heraldic Authority (Template:Lang-fr) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Governor General of Canada. The Authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new coats of arms (armorial bearings), flags and badges for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and corporate bodies. The Authority also registers existing armorial bearings granted by other recognized heraldic authorities, approves military badges, flags and other insignia of the Canadian Forces, and provides information on heraldic practices.

The CHA is the Canadian counterpart of the College of Arms in London and the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland and is well-known for its innovative designs, many incorporating First Nations symbolism.

History

Now know Ye that We, by and with the advice of our Privy Council of Canada, do by these presents authorize 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.

— From the Royal Warrant

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 the United Kingdom: either the College of Arms in London, or if of Scottish descent, to the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. This process was quite lengthy—and costly. In addition, the heralds of the College of Arms and the Court of the Lord Lyon could sometimes be unfamiliar with Canadian history and symbols. In time, many Canadians with an interest in heraldry began calling for an office which would offer armorial bearings designed by and for Canadians.

The push for a wholly-Canadian heraldic system came largely from the Heraldry Society of Canada (now the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada) almost from its inception, though it was not seen as a priority by successive national governments. In 1986, Vicki Huntington, a politician from British Columbia, forwarded a brief written by the RHSC calling for the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority to a staff member in then-Secretary of State David Crombie's office. Mr. Crombie had his department organise 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."

Two years later, on 4 June 1988, then-Governor General Jeanne Sauvé authorized the creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority, made possible by Letters Patent, signed by the Queen on the advice of her Canadian Privy Council, and presented by Prince Edward. As a result Canada became the first Commonwealth realm outside the United Kingdom to have its own heraldic authority. Canada also provides full equality to women in terms of inheriting and transmitting arms. Additionally, all armigers within Canada may file for trademark protection of their grant of arms under the Trade-Marks Act.

Structure

The Authority is located at Rideau Hall, the residence of the Governor General. The Governor General, as the personal representative of the Canadian monarch, is the highest authority in Canadian heraldry. Below the Governor General is the Herald Chancellor, a position held by the Secretary of the Governor General. The Authority is currently organized in an office called the Chancellery of Honours, the same office that issues Canadian orders and decorations, such as the Order of Canada. The Deputy Secretary that administers the Chancellery of Honours is also the Deputy Herald Chancellor.

The Authority itself is headed by the Chief Herald of Canada, whose job is to oversee and direct all operations of the CHA, and bears the main responsibility of granting arms, though the Governor General has the authority to grant arms directly. The position of Chief Herald was inaugurated by Robert Watt at the inception of the CHA in 1988, and held by him until his retirement in 2007. Since 26 June 2007, the office of Chief Herald has been held by Claire Boudreau, formerly Saint-Laurent Herald.

Heralds of Arms

Below the Chief Herald are the Heralds of Arms, full time workers at the Authority and considered part of the Public Service of Canada. The names of the various offices were taken from significant Canadian rivers. Though the titles are territorial designations, as per heraldic tradition, each herald serves the entire country. Each is assigned a badge of office. The Heralds of Arms are:

Honorary positions

The Authority also allows for two types of honorary positions: Heralds Emeritus and Heralds Extraordinary. The Emeritus title is reserved for Canadian heralds who have retired; the title of Extraordinary is an honorary position for those who have made notable contributions to heraldry. Honorary heralds can be enlisted by the Authority to perform work for them. Each honorary position grants the individual a badge and a title also based on a Canadian river.

Current holders of honorary positions

Obtaining arms

Eligibility

Any Canadian citizen or corporate body can petition for a grant of new arms or registration of existing arms. In general, eligibility for a grant of arms is based on an individual's contributions to the community, although the exact criteria for grants or registrations have not been published. A number of grants have been made to people who have already been recognized with state honours for their notable achievements, such as through admission to the Order of Canada, and who are accordingly entitled to a grant of arms. Those who are Companions of the Order may also request the Chief Herald to grant them supporters.

Grant process

In order to request either a coat of arms, flag, and/or badges, a letter must be addressed to the Chief Herald of Canada. The letter must clearly ask "to receive armorial bearings from the Canadian Crown under the powers exercised by the Governor General." The petitioner must include information about their background, including proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence and a biographical sketch that details employment, education, volunteer or community service, and personal references. Corporate petitions must include a brief history of the company, proof of incorporation in Canada, financial reports and a copy of the corporation's governing body resolution seeking a grant of arms will also be included in the request.

The Chief Herald of Canada can approve or reject the petition. If the petition is approved, the authority to make the grant is given through a Warrant signed by the Herald Chancellor or the Deputy Herald Chancellor. The authorisation is then sent to one of the heralds, and the process of the creation of a written description, the first step of three to granting arms, begins.

The assigned herald will work with the petitioner to discuss the elements that will be included in the coat of arms. The Chief Herald will approve the written description, after which the petitioner must also approve it. Upon approval, the petitioner signs a contract with an artist at the Authority, and the artist in turn will create the design. The Fraser Herald, serving as the Authority's principal artist, must review the design and if approved, will send it to the Chief Herald. Upon the approval of the Chief Herald, the design will be sent to the petitioner for his or her approval.

The final step is to prepare the letters patent, the official notice of an award of arms, which includes a drawing of the armorial bearings and the accompanying legal text and explanation of the symbolism of the bearings. Under Canadian bilingualism laws, letters patent are written in both French and English, though the petitioner may choose which language will be placed in the left column of the document.

Completed grant documents are recorded in the Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada, and the notice of the grant is published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, under the section "Government House."

The Government of Canada requires that the above processes be financed by the petitioner, that is the person requesting the grant or registration of arms, who pays the fees associated with the request and grant/registration. The processing fee for all petitioners is CAD$435 (plus GST), with the cost of one preliminary design ranging from $200 to $1,000. The cost of the final design, as illustrated on the letters patent, ranges from $900 to $3,500. It should be noted that the petitioner does not "buy" a coat of arms: the arms themselves are freely given to qualified individuals, but fees must be paid to the heralds and artists for the services rendered.

The average time that is required to complete a grant is about 12 to 14 months. If the discussion about the designs continue for a long period of time or Authority cannot spare the resources due to the number of petitions received, the process can take longer.

Registration of existing arms

Those individuals and institutions who already possess legitimate awards of arms 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, than application for a new award of arms.

The Authority's armorial bearings

Blazon

The blazon, or technical description in heraldic language, of the full armorial bearings is below, along with its plain English description:

Crest

Upon a helmet mantled Gules doubled Argent within a wreath of these colours a lion passant guardant Or Royally Crowned Proper its dexter forepaw resting on an escutcheon Argent charged with a maple leaf Gules

On top of a helmet with red and white mantling (stylised cloth streamers, here further stylised to look like maple leaves, as in the national coat of arms) stands a golden lion wearing a crown, holding in its paws a white shield with a red maple leaf.

Shield

Argent on a maple leaf Gules an escutcheon Argent

On a white shield is a red maple leaf, upon which is another white shield.

Supporters

On a representation of an outcrop of the Canadian Shield proper strewn with maple leaves Gules and maple seeds Or two raven-bears Gules over Argent wings elevated Gules beaked and armed Or.

A portion of the Canadian Shield is shown covered with red maple leaves and gold maple seeds. Standing upon this on either side are two red-and-white raven-bears with golden beaks and claws.

Motto

HONORENTUR PATRIAM HONORANTES

Let us honour those who honour our country.

Symbolism and use

The current arms of the Authority were confirmed in a warrant by the Governor General on 15 January 1994, in honour of the Authority's fifth anniversary, which was celebrated the previous year. The full armorial bearings of the Canadian Heraldic Authority incorporate aboriginal symbolism, as seen in the mythical raven-bears, as well as the national symbol of the maple leaf, and the traditional Canadian colours of red and white, which were made official by King George V in 1921.

The crest is a modification of the Royal Crest of Canada: a lion, wearing a crown, bearing a maple leaf. The crest of the Authority features the same lion, instead holding a white shield containing a red maple leaf, symbolising the Governor General's authority under the Crown to grant armorial bearings to Canadians.

The shield itself is white with a red maple leaf, similar to the middle portion of the Canadian flag. The white shield upon the leaf represents "a sign of heraldry to be created and recorded for Canadians."

The raven-bears, a new heraldic beast which combined several creatures that are important to aboriginal symbolism, were proposed by the heralds in honour of the United Nations' International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, also occurring in 1993. The raven-bears are standing on an outcrop of what is known as the Canadian Shield, a geological formation which the Authority foundation is based on. The Canadian Shield is formed by rocks, which are covered in red coloured maple leaves and by golden maple seeds. The motto that was chosen is Latin for Let us honour those who honour our country.

The shield and crest alone comprise the Badge of the Authority, which is used on the seal of the Authority and on the letters patent that grant and register armorial bearings. A wreath behind the arms is composed of red maple leaves bound with gold straps.

See also

• Canadian heraldry
• Heraldry
• Bureau of Heraldry (South Africa)
• College of Arms (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and the remainder of the Commonwealth)
• Court of the Lord Lyon (Scotland)
• Flemish Heraldic Council
• Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland
• Royal Heraldry Society of Canada

References

1. ^ Watt, Robert D. (Summer 2004). "A Bold, Successful National Cultural Experiment" (PDF). Canadian Monarchist News. The Monarchist League of Canada. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
2. ^ "The Canadian Heraldic Authority". Canadian Heraldic Authority. 2005-09-27; updated 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2008-11-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. "Royal Heraldry Society of Canada - Obtaining a Grant of Arms". RHSC. 2005-10-23. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
4. "Part 1" (PDF). Canada Gazette. Vol. 137 (#27). Ottawa: Government of Canada: p. 7. 5 July 2003. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help)
5. "About the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada". RHSC. 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
6. "More Information About Heraldry". Canadian Heraldic Authority. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
7. "The Canadian Heraldic Authority". Governor General of Canada. 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
8. ^ "The Officers and Heralds of Arms and their Armorial Bearings". Gg.ca. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
9. ^ "Canada Gazette". Canadagazette.gc.ca. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
10. ^ "Granting Armorial Bearings in Canada Coats of Arms, Flags and Badges". Canadian Heraldic Authority. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
11. "The Constitution of the Order of Canada". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
12. "CanLII - Fédéral - S.O.R./91-168 - 2". Canlii.org. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
13. "FAQ". Canadian Heraldic Authority. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
14. ^ "The Armorial Bearings of the Canadian Heraldic Authority". Gg.ca. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
15. "Symbols of Canada" (PDF). Canadian Heritage. 2008. p. p. 9. Retrieved 2008-11-20. {{cite web}}: |page= has extra text (help)
16. "Elements of the flag". Canadianheritage.gc.ca. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
17. Fraser, Alistair B. (1998-01-30). "Canada's National Symbols". The Flags of Canada. Retrieved 2008-11-06. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
18. "The Arms of Canada - Description". Pch.gc.ca. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
19. "Governor General". Thecanadianencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2008-11-04.

External links

• Canadian Heraldic Authority
• The Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada
• Royal Heraldry Society of Canada

• Canadian Heraldic Authority
• Monarchy in Canada
• Government of Canada
• 1988 establishments