Arms of Northwest Territories
Arms of Northwest Territories
Blazon
Per bend wavy Gules and Vert billety Or in sinister chief the mask of an Arctic fox Argent, on a chief indented Argent a barrulet wavy Azure;
Symbolism
The diagonal division alludes to the territory’s tree line, with the green section symbolizing the forests, and the red, the tundra. The gold rectangles refer to the mineral wealth of the region, while the Arctic fox represents the fur trade. The white section with the jagged edge refers to the polar ice pack, and the wavy blue stripe alludes to the Northwest Passage.
Crest of Northwest Territories
Blazon
A compass rose proper between two narwhals hauriant and addorsed Or;
Symbolism
The narwhals are marine mammals found in Arctic waters. The compass rose refers to the North Magnetic Pole, which was located in the Northwest Territories at the time these emblems were assigned in 1956.
