Arms of Gen-Find Research Associates, Inc.
Arms of Gen-Find Research Associates, Inc.
Blazon
Or a spiral of two bars Azure, overall an arbutus tree eradicated Gules;
Symbolism
Yellow, blue, and red are the corporate colours of Gen-Find Research Associates, Inc. The blue spiral evokes a Watson-Crick Double Helix – the basic structure of DNA – and therefore symbolizes bloodlines as a chain linking generations. In its colour and position, the spiral also alludes to the personal coat of arms of the company’s founder, Brian W. Hutchison, which features a blue fess charged with three bezants. The arbutus tree represents genealogical research, the company’s principal service, and is indigenous to Vancouver Island, where Gen-Find’s corporate headquarters are located. With its roots below the blue spiral and its branches above it, it also signifies the persistence of family ties across space and time.
Crest of Gen-Find Research Associates, Inc.
Blazon
Issuant from arbutus branches a ship of three masts proper;
Symbolism
The ship represents the experience of migration that typifies the family history of most Canadians. In the mythology of the Coast Salish people of Vancouver Island, survivors of a great flood moored their canoes to the upper branches of the arbutus. The positioning of a European-style ship in the leaves of the tree thus symbolically fuses Old- and New-World traditions.
Motto of Gen-Find Research Associates, Inc.
Blazon
LUATHAICH SINN DO SHAOGHAL NUADH;
Symbolism
The Gaelic sentence LUATHAICH SINN DO SHAOGHAL NUADH, meaning “We hastened to a new world,” emphasizes the importance of migration to the company’s work.
Motto of Gen-Find Research Associates, Inc.
Blazon
HONOUR THE PAST • EMBRACE THE FUTURE;
Symbolism
The Motto is an invitation to the celebration of past, present and future history.
Supporters of Gen-Find Research Associates, Inc.
Blazon
Dexter a merman proper queued Azure, his beard and hair Argent, wearing a wreath of fleurs-de-lis and roses Gules and holding an hour glass Or, sinister a mermaid proper queued Azure wearing a wreath of maple leaves Gules and holding a compass rose Or, both issuant from barry wavy Azure and Argent;
Symbolism
Mermaids and mermen represent the idea of seaborne migration and new beginnings, already suggested by the crest. The white-haired and bearded merman, with his crown of roses and fleurs-de-lis, represents the Old World, while the youthful mermaid, with her crown of maple leaves, represents the New. The hour glass and compass-rose signify time and space respectively.
