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Ottawa, Ontario
Registration of Arms
March 20, 2026
Vol. VIII, p. 484
Arms of the School of Nursing of the University of OttawaBlazonAzure semé of spur rowels of six points Or, an antique lamp Argent enflamed Gules;
SymbolismThe lamp has been a widely recognized symbol of the nursing profession since the famous nursing service of Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War in the 1850s. The spur rowels are taken from the arms of Eugène de Mazenod, the French bishop who founded the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the religious order that established the University of Ottawa and its school of nursing. |
CrestBlazonA pelican in her piety proper collared per pale Azure and Or all between two spur rowels of six points Azure; SymbolismThe image of a pelican feeding its own blood to its young is a symbol of self-sacrifice, representing the compassion nurses show to others. The pelican with its collar in the school’s colours echoes the similarly adorned pelican that appears in the crest of the university’s Faculty of Medicine. The spur rowels repeat the symbolism of the Arms. |
MottoBlazonALIIS SUBVENTUROS DOCEMUS; SymbolismThis Latin phrase means “We teach people who in turn will help others.” |
BackgroundCanada Gazette InformationSince 2023, grants, registrations and approvals of heraldic emblems are no longer announced in the Canada Gazette.  |
Additional InformationCreator(s)Original concept of Jean-Jacques Louis Lussier, assisted by the heralds of the College of Arms, London. PainterArtist of the College of Arms, London / Artiste du Collège d’armes, Londres CalligrapherNot applicable Recipient TypeCivil Institution Other InformationThe recipient’s emblems were originally recorded at the College of Arms, London, England, 15 January 1975. |