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Fergus, Ontario
Grant of Arms and Flags
January 20, 2012
Vol. VI, p. 91
Arms of St. Joseph's ParishBlazonVert a chevron paly-wavy Argent and Azure between in chief two lilies Argent and in base a cinquefoil Ermine; SymbolismThe green background alludes to the fact that the parish was originally created as a church for Irish Catholic immigrants, many of whom are buried in the original church yard. The chevron is the shape of a carpenter’s square, alluding to the trade of St. Joseph. In Christian symbolism, lilies are associated with both the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Here, they allude to the purity of St. Joseph as the chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and recall the fact that St. Joseph’s is a daughter parish of St. Mary Immaculate, Elora. The vertical wavy stripes of the chevron refer to the original name of Fergus, Little Falls, because of the small waterfall in the Grand River in the centre of the town. The flower or “cinquefoil” is taken from the arms of the Diocese of Hamilton of which St. Joseph’s is a parish. The fact that the cinquefoil originally appeared in the arms of the Dukes of Hamilton and other Scottish Hamiltons alludes to the Scottish heritage of the town of Fergus. |
MottoBlazonNON NOBIS DOMINE; SymbolismMeaning “Not unto us, O Lord”, this Latin phrase is taken from Psalm 113:9 in the Vulgate Bible. It indicates that the parish exists for the glory of God, and not for itself or its parishioners. |
Flag of St. Joseph's ParishBlazonA banner of the Arms; SymbolismThe symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record. |
Flag of St. Joseph's ParishBlazonA gonfanon of the Arms with three tails each per pale Argent and Vert; SymbolismThe symbolism of this emblem is found in other element(s) of this record. |
BackgroundCanada Gazette InformationThe announcement of the letters patent was made on November 3, 2012 in Volume 146, page 3052 of the Canada Gazette.  |
Additional InformationCreator(s)Original concept of Bruce Patterson, Deputy Chief Herald of Canada, and Gordon Macpherson, Niagara Herald Extraordinary, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority. PainterGordon Macpherson CalligrapherShirley Mangione Recipient TypeCivil Institution
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