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
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:
* to control and initiate armorial matters;
* to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state;
* to conserve a ...
at the
Canadian Heraldic Authority
The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) 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 t ...
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 c ...
. Like the other
herald
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
s at the Authority, the name is derived from the
Canadian river
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .badge of office 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, for ...
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
. 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 bran ...
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
''Potentilla'' is a genus containing over 300Guillén, A., et al. (2005)Reproductive biology of the Iberian species of ''Potentilla'' L. (Rosaceae).''Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid'' 1(62) 9–21. species of annual, biennial and perenn ...
, a stylized heraldic strawberry flower of five petals. As this is a feature of coats of arms within the
Scottish Clan
A Scottish clan (from Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recognised ...
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 ...
See also
*
Herald
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
*
Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
The Royal Heraldry Society of Canada (RHSC; french: Société royale héraldique du Canada) is a Canadian organization that promotes interest in heraldry in Canada. It was founded in 1966 and granted royal patronage in 2002.
History
The societ ...