For more details on how we got this coat of arms, check out my 2021 article in the Canadian Parliamentary Review, marking the arms' centenary! 15/15

tinyurl.com/yeyvszxb

#heraldry #vexillology #cdnhist

As a bonus, the first official use of the Arms of Canada after their proclamation, on stationery for the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, February 1922. The crown was missing a cross, so the printing die was modified before other federal departments added it to their stationery. 14/?

The College rejected the Cdn design, but the King accepted it, with some changes. In a last-ditch effort to save face, the College proposed more modifications. No thanks, said the Cdn committee. 13/?

Canada's counterproposal: a version of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, with maple leaves and a nod to pre-revolutionary France. Artwork by acclaimed Toronto artist A. Scott Carter. 12/?

Professionals weigh in. A first proposal from York Herald at the College of Arms. Back in Canada, the coat of arms committee was unimpressed. Back to the drawing board. 11/?

A nod to American influence from W.H. Sadd, a lithographer from Manotick, ON: four stripes for the four original provinces, nine maple leaves for the provinces in 1921. 10/?

Moving into abstraction, from C.J. Stuart of Montreal. Interwoven red bars to represent the nine provinces (with room for two more, for Newfoundland and West Indies, should they join). Together, they also suggest the gridiron on which St. Lawrence was martyred. A whiff of QC's future flag. 9/?

From George Todd, a Canadian expat in Yonkers, NY. A truly terrifying bison. 8/?

Aaaaand another Biggar, this time in living colour! 7/?

Another Biggar offering, this one with supporters representing east and west. Biggar had taught geography in a school in Panama; when called upon to paint shields of the world's coats of arms for the school's dining hall, he was embarrassed by Canada's shield, hence his interest in new arms. 6/?

Edgar Biggar of New Toronto (Etobicoke) was a prolific proponent. For this one, the Province of Ontario might have raised objections. 5/?

And now for something completely different! Randolph J. McLean Jr. of Woodstock, NB, thinks outside the shield, using a maple leaf as his canvas instead. 4/?

From R.J. Sharp of Montreal. Sensing a theme here... 3/?

From P.B. Bernard of Toronto. Includes all the hits, but undoubtedly the College of Arms would have objected to the position of the Union Jack (as they did for the first proposal for BC's coat of arms) 2/?

My alma mater! The architect also designed British telephone boxes, if memory serves?

If making chili dogs with A & E qualifies as celebrating, then yes!

Or Chariboo...

When I bought a postcard of the Chasm at a souvenir shop in Lac La Hache c. 1993, the salesperson pronounced the "Ch-" as in "Charles" rather than as in "Chaos". A mistake on her part or a peculiar regionalism?

Very interesting - I had wondered where they sourced Nazi uniforms, etc., in wartime!