The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.
New York, New York, United States of America
Grant of Arms, Flag and Badge
May 15, 2007
Vol. V, p. 141
Arms of Gordon Douglas FentonBlazonPer saltire Gules and Azure, a saltire Argent between in chief a fleur-de-lis, in base a jack pine tree, and in the flanks two beavers couchant respectant Or; SymbolismThe colours allude to Fr. Fenton’s Scottish, Norwegian and English ancestry, and the white saltire cross indicates St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland and thus his Scottish heritage. The beavers represent his ancestors’ association with the Hudson’s Bay Company. Their posture facing one another suggests dialogue and participation in the community. The fleur-de-lis is a symbol often found on other Fenton arms; it also signifies a catholic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The jack pine refers to his late father’s work as a logger and to Fr. Fenton’s keen sense of respect for the environment. |
MottoBlazon(In Cree) SymbolismMeaning “In Truth, freedom”, this phrase is based on John 8:32, “The truth shall make you free”. The use of Cree pays tribute both to Fr. Fenton’s ancestry and to his parish ministry in the 1980s in the Diocese of Keewatin in northwestern Ontario. |
Flag of Gordon Douglas FentonBlazonOr a turtle tergiant Gules, the hoist Azure charged with three poplar leaves Or; SymbolismThe symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record. |
Badge of Gordon Douglas FentonBlazonA turtle tergiant Gules on a Canterbury cross Or; SymbolismThe Canterbury cross indicates that Fr. Fenton is an Anglican priest, and the addition of it to the turtle motif – with its personal associations and a tangential invocation of Native spirituality – celebrates both the catholicity and the fundamental unity of Fr. Fenton’s own world view. |
Crest of Gordon Douglas FentonBlazonA turtle tergiant per pale Gules and Azure between two poplar branches Or; SymbolismThe turtle is a symbol with totemic value to Fr. Fenton and also refers to his Cree heritage. It is symbolic of the value of self-containment and of the innate capacity of the soul to plumb the depths of the spirit. |
BackgroundCanada Gazette InformationThe announcement of the letters patent was made on October 6, 2007 in Volume 141, page 2826 of the Canada Gazette.  |
Additional InformationCreator(s)Original concept of Bruce Patterson, Saguenay Herald, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority. PainterRobert Grey CalligrapherNancy Ellis Recipient TypeIndividual |