Coat of arms of Toronto Information & Coat of arms of Toronto Links at HealthHaven.com

The coat of arms of Toronto, Ontario, Canada were designed by Robert Watt, the Chief Herald of Canada, for the city after its amalgamation in 1998.

They are blazoned as, Or, a pale and a chief Azure. The Crest: on a wreath of the colours issuant from a mural coronet Or, masoned Sable charged with a human heart Gules between two Roses Argent, buttoned Or, slipped proper, on a grassy mount Vert, a Golden eagle stantant, wings elevated and expanded proper. The supporters are, on the dexter a beaver sejeant proper, collared with a torse Gules, therefrom on a hexagon Or an ash leaf Vert, on the sinister, a brown bear rampant proper, collared with a torse Gules, pendant therefrom a hexagon charged with a columbine Flower proper. Both Supporters are placed on a grassy mount from which at the base of the shield three wavy streams in pairle reversed Argent each surcharged with another Azure flow into a barry wavy ‘lakefront', below which is placed the Scroll with the Motto: Diversity Our Strength between two Maple Leaves Gules, veined Or at the extremities of the Scroll.

The shield is designed in a way that both represents the two towers of city hall and, as seen in the image in the right margin, the capital letter T. The three wavy streams beneath the shield represent the three rivers of Toronto, the Humber, the Don and the Rouge. The barry wavy 'lakefront' represents Lake Ontario.

[edit] Former coat of arms

The former City of Toronto had a coat of arms prior to amalgamation as well, yet it was rarely used. The shield consisted of four quarters between a white cross charged with a red maple leaf. The first quarter was red and charged with three golden lions as an allusion to the coat of arms of England, the second was blue with a white stylized rose to allude to York, the third was also blue with a white cog wheel for industry and the final fourth quarter showed a scene of a steam boat in red and gold to represent the importance of the lake and water ways in and around the city. The crest was a beaver atop a gold mural crown. The supporters were a First Nations warrior with bow on the viewer's left and the personification of Britannia with trident and shield painted with the Union Jack to the viewer's right. The motto was in English, "Industry, Intelligence, Integrity."

In an even earlier version, a beaver was in place of the white rose and a sheave of wheat instead of the cog wheel.

[edit] References

City of Toronto

[edit] External links

Page on City of Toronto site

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