Canadian Heraldic Authority

The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; ) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by 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, government agencies, municipal, civic and other 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. It is well known for its innovative designs, many incorporating First Nations symbolism.

The CHA is the Canadian counterpart of the College of Arms in London, the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland, the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland in the Republic of Ireland, and U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry for federal agencies of the United States.

History

Prior to 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 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.

As early as 1967, plans were reportedly in the works to transfer overview of heraldry from the College of Arms in the UK to Canada. 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.

Structure

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The authority is located at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, the official residence of the monarch and 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 to the Governor General. The CHA is currently organized in an office called the Chancellery of Honours, which is 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 Chief Herald of Canada, whose job is to oversee and direct all operations of the CHA, 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 May 20, 2020, the office of chief herald has been held by Samy Khalid.

Heralds of Arms

Below the chief herald are the Heralds of Arms, full-time workers at the CHA 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:

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!Badge of Office

!Title

!Duties

!Incumbent

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|Saint-Laurent||Registrar of the Authority, deals mainly with records, such as the Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada. This herald is also the custodian of the authority's seal.||Bruce Patterson<br />(2008–)

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|Fraser||Principal artist of the Authority, responsible for overseeing the artwork produced for each grant of arms.||Cathy Bursey-Sabourin<br />(1989–)

<br />Alix Chartrand (2020-)

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|Assiniboine|| ||Darrel Kennedy<br />(2002–)

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|Coppermine||Assistant artist of the Authority, supporting Fraser Herald.||Catherine Fitzpatrick<br />(2003–) the title of extraordinary is an honorary position for those who have made notable contributions to heraldry. Honorary heralds can be enlisted by the CHA 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

|2007

;Past holders of honorary positions

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!Badge of Office

!Title

!Holder

!Appointed

!Left office

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|Capilano Herald Extraordinary||Helen Mussallem

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" and include proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residence as well as a biography or curriculum vitae of the petitioner. 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.

The Chief Herald of Canada can approve or reject the petition. The granting of arms is regarded as an honour from the monarch, via the governor general, and thus are bestowed only on those whom the Chief Herald has deemed individuals worthy of receiving a grant of arms. 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 begins. The average time needed to complete a grant is about 12 to 14 months, though it can take longer for particularly detailed or intricate arms.

Online grant application

From July 20, 2021, the Canadian Heraldic Authority announced on its Facebook page the launch of online grant application forms, in an effort to modernize the institution and make the "900-year-old tradition" available to all those who are eligible.

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.

Coat of arms of the CHA

Blazon

frame|right|[[Armorial achievement of the Canadian Heraldic Authority]]

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 his paw 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

Symbolism and use

thumb|Governor General [[Michaëlle Jean wearing the collar of office of head of the CHA. The escutcheon of the CHA's coat of arms is incorporated into the collar's design.]]

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, 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 and 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.