Shippagan

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Shippagan, New Brunswick
Grant of Arms and Supporters
August 15, 2019
Vol. VII, p. 203

Arms of Shippagan
Arms of Shippagan
 
Arms of Shippagan

Arms of Shippagan

Blazon

Azure a bar gemel wavy Argent, overall an anchor, in the dexter chief a mullet Or;

Symbolism

The ship’s anchor marks the importance of maritime industry in the city’s history, namely shipbuilding and commercial fishing. The anchor is also present in the crest of the arms of the Robichaud family association, one of the city’s founding families. The star is the Stella Maris, the Star of Mary, a symbol of the Acadian community. Its placement on the shield echoes that on the Acadian flag. The blue colour and the white wavy lines allude to the sea, with which Shippagan, as a coastal city, is intimately linked. Blue and yellow are also the colours of the University of Moncton, which has a campus situated in Shippagan.

Crest

Blazon

A demi-mallard duck wings elevated and addorsed proper holding in its beak a scroll Argent bound Azure and rising from a bed of beech leaves proper;

Symbolism

The duck alludes to the city’s name, which is derived from the expression sepagun-chich, meaning “the place where the ducks pass” in the language of the Mi’kmaq people, who were the first inhabitants of the region. The diploma in the duck’s beak recognizes Shippagan’s status as a university town. The beech leaves refer to “La Hêtrière” (meaning “the beech wood” in French), one of the names given to the region of Shippagan by its first French inhabitants. The leaves are also present in the crest of the arms of the Duguay family association, one of the city’s founding families.

Motto

Blazon

BÂTIR ENSEMBLE;

Symbolism

Meaning “Building together,” this French phrase expresses a feeling of hope for the future.

Supporters

Blazon

Two Atlantic cod proper issuant from barry wavy Argent and Azure flanking a bog of sphagnum moss set with cloudberry plants proper;

Symbolism

Atlantic cod is one of the most important fish species in commercial fishing off Canada’s East Coast. Cod fishing was one of the principal forces driving European immigration in these regions, and it remains central to Shippagan’s maritime industry. The cod is also present in the arms of the Mallet family association, one of the city’s founding families. The blue and white wavy lines represent water and the maritime location of the city. The bog and sphagnum moss are features of the local landscape around the city, and also honour the peat extraction industry, which has been historically important to the city’s development. The cloudberries are a local species and a characteristic feature of the landscape around the city.

 

Background

Canada Gazette Information

The announcement of the letters patent was made on March 28, 2020 in Volume 154, page 692 of the Canada Gazette.

Letters patent granting heraldic emblems to Shippagan

Additional Information

Creator(s)

Original concept of Teva Vidal, Miramichi Herald, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

Painter

Debra MacGarvie

Calligrapher

Doris Wionzek

Recipient Type

Civil Institution
Regional, Municipal etc Government