Coat of arms of Montreal
Encyclopedia
The first coat of arms of Montreal was designed by Jacques Viger, the city's first mayor, and adopted in 1833 by the city councillors. Modifications were made some one hundred five years later and adopted on 21 March 1938, resulting in the version currently in use. The coat of arms
was the only city emblem representing Montreal
until 1981 when a stylized logo was also developed for common daily use, reserving the coat of arms for ceremonial events and occasions.
was displayed on white shield, which had a red saltire
with four different charges between each of the arms, representative of the four main components of the population as viewed by Mayor Jacques Viger and the city council in 1833 when the coat of arms were designed and adopted. To the top, a rose was for the English heritage of the population, the dexter
a thistle for the Scots, the sinister
a sprig of clover for the Irish heritage of the city and to the bottom base a beaver for the French that originally settled the territory and traded in furs.
In 1938, the city council requested the coat of arms be updated to better reflect Montreal's population. The changes replaced the saltire with a cross, which then was reminiscent of both the St. George's Cross often associated with England
and also with Christian missionary missions that could represent the principles of the French Catholics that originally founded the city. The beaver had become a symbol of the whole of Montreal and of the industriousness of the city by this time period, no longer merely representing the original French settlers, and was moved to ensign the shield. In the place of the beaver on the shield, a blue fleur de lys was added to symbolize the descendants of the original French settlers. The rose, thistle and clover remained. The shield was surrounded by a wreath made of sugar maple
leaf to symbolize the amicable relations between the various elements of Montreal's population and an allusion to the maple as a national emblem of Canada
. The scroll and motto below the shield read Concordia Salus, a Latin phrase translated as "Salvation through harmony."
in their own standing, alluding to a specific historical device used by a state or nation.
The fleur de lys
was long used by the French Royal Houses, such as the House of Bourbon
, in their coat of arms and was found upon the national flag of the French during this time, and was also used as a mark of honour or favour by the King of France. The first European settlers in possession of the Island of Montreal
hailed from France, and thus are represented by this symbol.
The Red Rose of Lancaster
was used as a symbol of the English Royal House of Lancaster
, and has become, with the White Rose of York
and Tudor Rose
, a symbol of the English people as well.
Found in various folklore of the Scots since Roman times, the thistle
has also been long used in the compartment of the Scottish royal coat of arms, and has been symbolic of the Scottish
people long before heraldry
.
Traditionally known as a trefoil
, the shamrock
was a symbol to early Irish Christians of the trinity, is has endured to become a symbol of the Irish
people along with the harp of Brian Boru
.
Greater Montreal attempted to unify the City of Montreal with the other eighty-one surrounding municipalities under one logo in 2006. The logo that was introduced consisted of a stylized 'M' meant to look, as the design firm put it, "deliberately chubby, very welcoming, like a comfy chair." However, the logo received much negative criticism for its "patchwork of hot pink, tangerine, rhubarb, turquoise and green apple", that was viewed as childish in implement and likened to clown
paint, Smarties, jelly beans, garbage and even vomit. Public sentiment grew increasingly negative when it was discovered the cost of the ill-received design was $487,000 paid out from the public fund. Montreal itself continues to use the 1981 logo, and even Greater Montreal has since dropped the design they themselves introduced.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
was the only city emblem representing Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
until 1981 when a stylized logo was also developed for common daily use, reserving the coat of arms for ceremonial events and occasions.
History
The first coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
was displayed on white shield, which had a red saltire
Saltire
A saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
with four different charges between each of the arms, representative of the four main components of the population as viewed by Mayor Jacques Viger and the city council in 1833 when the coat of arms were designed and adopted. To the top, a rose was for the English heritage of the population, the dexter
Dexter and sinister
Dexter and sinister are terms used in heraldry to refer to specific locations in an escutcheon bearing a coat of arms and by extension also to a crest. "Dexter" means to the right from the viewpoint of the bearer of the arms, to the left of that of the viewer...
a thistle for the Scots, the sinister
Dexter and sinister
Dexter and sinister are terms used in heraldry to refer to specific locations in an escutcheon bearing a coat of arms and by extension also to a crest. "Dexter" means to the right from the viewpoint of the bearer of the arms, to the left of that of the viewer...
a sprig of clover for the Irish heritage of the city and to the bottom base a beaver for the French that originally settled the territory and traded in furs.
In 1938, the city council requested the coat of arms be updated to better reflect Montreal's population. The changes replaced the saltire with a cross, which then was reminiscent of both the St. George's Cross often associated with England
Flag of England
The Flag of England is the St George's Cross . The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and is one of the earliest known emblems representing England...
and also with Christian missionary missions that could represent the principles of the French Catholics that originally founded the city. The beaver had become a symbol of the whole of Montreal and of the industriousness of the city by this time period, no longer merely representing the original French settlers, and was moved to ensign the shield. In the place of the beaver on the shield, a blue fleur de lys was added to symbolize the descendants of the original French settlers. The rose, thistle and clover remained. The shield was surrounded by a wreath made of sugar maple
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
leaf to symbolize the amicable relations between the various elements of Montreal's population and an allusion to the maple as a national emblem of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The scroll and motto below the shield read Concordia Salus, a Latin phrase translated as "Salvation through harmony."
National symbols
The four flora designs found upon the shield are themselves each a traditional national symbolsNational emblem
A national emblem symbolically represents a nation. Most national emblems originate in the natural world, such as animals or birds, but another object may serve. National emblems may appear on many things such as the national flag, coat of arms, or other patriotic materials...
in their own standing, alluding to a specific historical device used by a state or nation.
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| A fleur de lys Fleur de Lys Fleur de Lys is a superheroine from Quebec and an ally of Northguard, created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. The name of the character is inspired by the heraldic symbol of the fleur de lys. It is the official emblem of Quebec and a prominent part of the Flag of Quebec... . |
The Red Rose of Lancaster Red Rose of Lancaster The Red Rose of Lancaster is the county flower of Lancashire.The exact species or cultivar which the red rose relates to is uncertain, but it is thought to be Rosa gallica officinalis.... . |
A trefoil Trefoil Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism... or shamrock Shamrock The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover .... . |
A thistle Thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the... . |
The fleur de lys
Fleur de Lys
Fleur de Lys is a superheroine from Quebec and an ally of Northguard, created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. The name of the character is inspired by the heraldic symbol of the fleur de lys. It is the official emblem of Quebec and a prominent part of the Flag of Quebec...
was long used by the French Royal Houses, such as the House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, in their coat of arms and was found upon the national flag of the French during this time, and was also used as a mark of honour or favour by the King of France. The first European settlers in possession of the Island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
hailed from France, and thus are represented by this symbol.
The Red Rose of Lancaster
Red Rose of Lancaster
The Red Rose of Lancaster is the county flower of Lancashire.The exact species or cultivar which the red rose relates to is uncertain, but it is thought to be Rosa gallica officinalis....
was used as a symbol of the English Royal House of Lancaster
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
, and has become, with the White Rose of York
White Rose of York
The White Rose of York , a white heraldic rose, is the symbol of the House of York and has since been adopted as a symbol of Yorkshire as a whole.-History:...
and Tudor Rose
Tudor rose
The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.-Origins:...
, a symbol of the English people as well.
Found in various folklore of the Scots since Roman times, the thistle
Thistle
Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...
has also been long used in the compartment of the Scottish royal coat of arms, and has been symbolic of the Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
people long before heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
.
Traditionally known as a trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
, the shamrock
Shamrock
The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover ....
was a symbol to early Irish Christians of the trinity, is has endured to become a symbol of the Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
people along with the harp of Brian Boru
Brian Boru
Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, , , was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated...
.
Logo
In 1981, with an attempt to modernize the city's emblems, Montreal introduced a logo for common municipal use, while the coat of arms would be reserved for the most formal of ceremonies and events. The device consists of the city's name with accent mark as found with the French spelling and a stylized rosette that is itself composed of four hearts. Officially, the type is to be in black and the rosette in red, but a few variations exist for printing purposes when the set colours would not contrast well on documents.Greater Montreal attempted to unify the City of Montreal with the other eighty-one surrounding municipalities under one logo in 2006. The logo that was introduced consisted of a stylized 'M' meant to look, as the design firm put it, "deliberately chubby, very welcoming, like a comfy chair." However, the logo received much negative criticism for its "patchwork of hot pink, tangerine, rhubarb, turquoise and green apple", that was viewed as childish in implement and likened to clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
paint, Smarties, jelly beans, garbage and even vomit. Public sentiment grew increasingly negative when it was discovered the cost of the ill-received design was $487,000 paid out from the public fund. Montreal itself continues to use the 1981 logo, and even Greater Montreal has since dropped the design they themselves introduced.
See also
- Canadian heraldryCanadian heraldryCanadian heraldry is the cultural tradition and style of coats of arms and other heraldic achievements in both modern and historic Canada. It includes national, provincial, and civic arms, noble and personal arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays as corporate logos, and Canadian heraldic...
- List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols
- National symbols of CanadaNational symbols of CanadaNational symbols of Canada are the symbols that are used in Canada and abroad to represent the country and its people. Prominently, the use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18th century, and is depicted on its current and previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of...