Fraser Herald of Arms (''Héraut Fraser'' in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

) is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from the Canadian river of the same name. Since the inception of the office, Fraser Herald of Arms has been the principal artist of the Canadian Heraldic Authority. As such, Fraser is responsible for overseeing the artwork created for all grants of arms emanating from the Authority. The design of the

badge of office A badge is a device or accessory, often containing the insignia of an organization, which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath (e.g., police and fi ...

of Fraser Herald of Arms combines symbolism of the sun and water. This is indicative of the fact that the Fraser River is the most important river in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, which features a sun on its

provincial Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Can ...

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

. Traditionally, water is depicted in

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

by white and blue wavy stripes, and the substitution here of gold for white makes a reference to the gold deposits in the Fraser River. At the center of the badge is a cinquefoil, a stylized heraldic strawberry flower of five petals. As this is a feature of coats of arms within the Scottish Clan Fraser (canting arms on ''fraisier'', French for strawberry plant), it pays tribute to the river's namesake, the explorer Simon Fraser. The badge can be blazoned as 'A sun in splendour the disk barry wavy azure and or charged with a fraise argent the straight rays or the wavy azure' (Canadian Public Register).

Holders of the office

*1989–present

Cathy Bursey-Sabourin Cathy Lynne Bursey-Sabourin (born 1957) is a Canadian designer and heraldic artist. She launched her career as a commercial and graphic designer in St. John's and Ottawa. Her involvement with heraldic art began at the Department of National Defenc ...

External links

Canadian Heraldic Authority

Canadian Herladic Authority's Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges – Badge of office
Offices of arms Fraser River Canadian Heraldic Authority {{Canada-heraldry-stub

Holders of the office

See also

External links