Winnipeg
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WINNIPEG
Province : Manitoba
Additions : 1971 Charleswood, East Kildonan, Fort Garry, North Kildonan, Old Kildonan, St. Boniface, St. James, St. Vital, Transcona, Tuxedo, West Kildonan
Official blazon
Arms : Vert a prairie crocus (Anemone patens) slipped proper on a chief Azure fimbriated thirteen mullets Or.
Crest: Within a circlet of prairie crocus (Anemone patens) the gate of Old Fort Garry proper.
Motto: UNUM CUM VIRTUTE MULTORUM
Origin/meaning
The arms were officially granted on January 12, 1979 in London and confirmed on May 20, 2005 in Canada.
The City has had two official coats of arms in its history.
The original bore the motto, "Commerce, prudence, industry." Elements shown on the arms include a bison, once very common on the prairie, a
steam engine to represent the coming of the railroad to Winnipeg and sheaves of wheat to symbolise the staple crop that brought prosperity to a young city.
The current arms were introduced in 1972, adopted by the city ouncil on January 24th, 1973 and were granted by the College of Arms in London, England in 1979.
The Fort Garry Gate at the top represents Winnipeg's early history as a Hudson's Bay fur trading centre. The Fort Garry Gate is all that remains of Upper Fort Garry. It can be found, with some looking, somewhere near the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, off Main Street.
Beneath the Gate is a shield divided into two parts. The top part contains thirteen gold stars on a blue field, symbolizing the thirteen former municipal governments that were unified to create the new City.
The blue background depicts Winnipeg's clear blue skies. Below the sky, a prairie crocus upon a plain green field represents Winnipeg's location as a prairie city.
The ribbons at the top and bottom represent the ribbon that ties the community together.
The motto "UNUM CUM VIRTUTE MULTORUM" is Latin for "One with the strength of many".
Two thoughts lie behind this motto. Firstly, Winnipeg is perhaps uniquely one city formed of people of all races; and secondly, it is one city formed from many cities.
The arms in the city hall |
Literature : data were taken from http://www.mbnet.mb.ca