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Canadian Civic Heraldry

CAPE BRETON REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY

Province : Nova Scotia

Origin/meaning :
The arms were granted in 1pril 1997.
The sail boat is a Cape Breton Sloop, and is an image used on the Great Seal of Cape Breton in 1820. The double tressure reflects three things. First that it reflects the double tressure in the Nova Scotia arms. Second, that the eight maple leaves symbolise the eight incorporated municipalities which were amalgamated into the new municipality in 1997. Third, the maple leaves are to visually tell viewers that the arms are Canadian. The colours, Vert and Or, reflect the Cape Breton Tartan and the colours of our hills, mountains and sunsets. The mural crown in the same colours reflects the tartan even more so. The phoenix crest is of course the birth of the new municipality out of the ashes of the old.

The supporters also deal with the municipality's history. The horse symbolises both farming and the coal industry (the mines here at one time used pit ponies underground). The Unicorn again reflects Nova Scotia's armorial supporters. The gorging on the horse is a representation of a crown made of black lozenges, again reflecting the importance of coal in this area. The gorging around the neck of the unicorn is made of steel rails viewed from one of the ends and symbolises the steel industry of Sydney and Sydney Mines (two of the incorporated municipalities). Hanging from these collars are two torteaux, one charged with a garb (farming), the other with a fiddle and bow in saltire, symbolising the importance of culture to this island, especially our musicians who are world famous.

The compartment is a wall, representing Louisbourg (another of the incorporated municipalities) and the fortress there as well as the influence of the armed forces in this area. Beneath it is cape promontory with spruce trees, representing our forests and the forest related industries. Also strewn about the compartment are mayflowers, the provincial flower. All this is rising from barry wavy lines, symbolising that the municipality is both on several harbours and on an island.

The mottos, A Community of Communities is self explanitory. Fortunata Non Mutat Genus, translated as "Circumstance Does Not Change Our Origin" is an accurate motto for the municipality and was taken from the same Great Seal of Cape Breton.

Literature : image provided by J. Stewart LeForte, information by Barry Gabriel (bgabriel@uccb.ns.ca)

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