Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, January 28, 2015

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It is a pleasure to be here in this place of learning to present these new heraldic emblems.

One of my responsibilities as governor general is to serve as head of the Canadian Heraldic Authority, which has as its motto the Latin Honorentur Patriam Honorantes, meaning “Let those who honour their country be honoured.”

In Canada, grants of armorial bearings recognize the contributions made by the recipient to the community. In this case, we honour Langara College, a well-respected post-secondary school, one that has operated in Vancouver for the last 50 years in several forms.

And what is the singular contribution that we honour here today? It is the people—the staff and faculty of this school, alongside dedicated students and alumni—who create a place that values learning and discovery above all.

The very ideals that you stand for are now on display for everyone to see. The imagery, as always, is evocative and conveys the deeper meaning of this place and how it fits into the larger community.

In this case, there are allusions not only to the school’s falcon mascot, but also to imagination, achievement and the natural world, to the school’s role in guiding its students, to innovation, and to the land on which it sits.

I am also intrigued to see that references to binary code are included in the design.

I’ve been told that my own coat of arms—which has a code of 1s and 0s near the bottom of the design—is the only other Canadian grant of arms with an allusion to binary code in it, although unlike yours, mine has a random choice of numbers.

The heralds tell me that when my coat of arms was unveiled in 2010, they received more questions—not to mention unusual theories—about the code than about anything else in the design.

And, of course, there is your motto: Eruditio Libertas Est. Knowledge is freedom.

What a wonderful sentiment! And so true.

When we learn, particularly in a setting such as this, we expand our opportunities. The more we know, the more options are available to us. Knowledge opens doors and gives us access to whole worlds. That is what institutions of learning do, what Langara College continues to do every day.

I am proud that we can present you with these armorial bearings, which will become a meaningful symbol for the college, as well as for generations of students who will pass through these doors.

Congratulations to all of you on this occasion. 

Thank you.