Arms of the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster
Arms of the Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster
Blazon
Azure a cross patonce between five martlets, on a chief dancetty of three points Or a pale Ermine charged with a mitre proper between two roses Gules barbed and seeded proper;
Symbolism
The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The design of the blue shield, the cross patonce, the martlets and the gold chief with two roses is based on that of Westminster Abbey in London. The cross patonce and martlets are the attributed arms of King Edward the Confessor, the founder of Westminster Abbey in the 11th century. The mitre is a symbol of episcopal authority, and ermine appears in the arms of several dioceses in western Canada as a reference to the fur trade. The division line refers to the mountains in British Columbia.
