Montreal
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 Civic heraldry of Canada Armorial Canadienne |
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MONTREAL/MONTRÉAL
Province : Quebec
Official blazon
As of September 13, 2017, the blazon is not yet official, merely proposed by the Canadian Heraldic Authority
English
Arms: Argent on a cross nowy Gules between 1st a fleur-de-lis Azure, 2nd a rose slipped and leaved, 3rd a thistle and 4th a shamrock proper, a white pine tree eradicated Or
Crest: A beaver couchant on a log proper
Motto: CONCORDIA SALUS
French
Armoiries: D’argent à la croix nouée de gueules chargée d’un pin blanc arraché d’or, cantonnée au 1 d’une fleur de lis, au 2 d’une rose, au 3 d’un chardon et au 4 d’un trèfle, le tout au naturel
Cimier: Un castor soutenu d’un rondin, le tout au naturel
Devise: CONCORDIA SALUS
Origin/meaning
The arms were officially granted on March 21, 1938 and augmented on September 13, 2017.
The cross is derived from the English cross of St. George, but there is also a cross on the main hill, the Mount Royal, in the center of the city. The cross was erected in 1924 and recalls January 6, 1643, when Maisonneuve, the founder of Montréal, kept his promise to carry a wooden cross on Mount Royal if the young colony survived the threat of flooding. Today, the cross stands 30 metres (98 feet) high and when lit, can be seen miles away.
The four symbols in the quarters represent the four main immigrant groups in the early days of the city: the French (fleur-de-lis), British (rose), Scots (thistle) and Irish (trefoil), while the golden white pine within the cross is a reference to the indigenous people. The red circle, open at the four compass points, represents the Circle of Life and the council fire as a place for meeting and dialogue.
The motto means "Salvation through harmony".
The change to the arms was made during as a part of a nation-wide movement to reconcile and improve the relations with Canada's native population. Along with the change to the shield, the new depiction of the arms includes a silver and red torse beneath the beaver crest. The depiction of the arms was created by artist Robert Grey, based on the original drawing of the city from around 1940.
 Original pre-2017 arms |
Old blazon
Arms : Argent a cross gules between a fleur de lys azure, a rose slipped and leaved, a thistle slipped and leaved and a trefoil proper, the whole encircled by a wreath of sugar maple and ensigned by a beaver upon a log proper.
Motto: Concordia Salus
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