Arms of the Municipality of the United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde

Blazon

Per pale, dexter per fess Azure and Argent a cross engrailed quarterly Argent and Sable dimidiated, in chief a mullet ensigned by an increscent and decrescent Argent, in base a beaver sejant erect proper; sinister Argent three eastern red cedar trees eradicated in fess proper, overall on an inescutcheon Or a bend Azure charged with three mascles bendwise Or and within a bordure Ermine charged with three maple leaves Gules;

The Arms are ensigned by a mural crown of two towers Argent ports and windows Azure;

Symbolism

The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The shield in the centre depicts Scottish emblems associated with the name Haliburton, which is also that of the principal town in the municipality. It was named after Judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton, who had led an early effort to develop the region. The two crescents are taken from the arms of Niven in honour of Alexander Niven, one of the area’s first land surveyors, first reeve of the municipality and first warden of Haliburton County. They may also refer to those in arms associated with the name Dudley. The star alludes to those in the arms of the Scottish earls of Dysart. The eastern red cedar trees represent both the local flora and the tree found in the arms of the town of Dysart in Scotland. The cross is taken from the arms of Bruton families in Somerset, England. The maple leaves and the beaver evoke the municipality’s Canadian identity, the latter also echoing the ones found in the arms of Judge Haliburton’s son, Arthur, 1st Baron Haliburton. The ermine border is also taken from Lord Haliburton’s arms.

The mural crown of two towers was used at the time by the Court of the Lord Lyon to designate a Canadian township.