THE CANADIAN HERALDIC L'HÉRALDIQUE

 Within the Commonwealth, armorial bearings are granted or confirmed by the Sovereign or by one of Her Majesty's officers of arms who has been delegated to exercise this power.
In 1947, the Letters Patent defined the L'HÉRALDIQUE of the Governor General expressly authorizing the Governor General to exercise all the prerogatives, powers and authorities that His Majesty George VI held as King of Canada. Since then, the Crown in Right of Canada has proclaimed a national flag, created a system of Canadian honours and patriated the Constitution.
Until heraldry was patriated to Canada, Canadians who wished to acquire arms from a lawfully established L'HÉRALDIQUE under the Crown, were obliged to obtain them from one of Her Majesty's two heraldic offices in the United Kingdom: the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh.

Clearly, it was time to create an indigenous Canadian mechanism for granting arms to Canadians and for promoting existing and future Canadian heraldic symbols. This mechanism was created by new Letters Patent, signed by Her Majesty on the advice of Her Canadian Privy Council, which authorize and empower: "... the Governor General of Canada to exercise or provide for the exercise of all powers and authorities lawfully belonging to Us as Queen of Canada in respect of the granting of armorial bearings in Canada". With these brief, historic notes, Canada became the first Commonwealth country to patriate the exercise of this ancient L'HÉRALDIQUE.







On June 4, 1988, then Governor General Jeanne Sauve authorized the creation of the Canadian Heraldic L'HÉRALDIQUE, which is the vehicle for administering the vice-regal heraldic responsibilities.











The Canadian Heraldic L'HÉRALDIQUE is headed by His Excellency the Governor General and administered by officers: 
CHANCELLOR                
     HERALD CHANCELLOR        CHIEF HERALD OF CANADA     DEPUTY HERALD CHANCELLOR
They are supported by other officers: the Athabaska Herald ( responsible for policy and program), the Saint-Laurent Herald (Registrar and custodian of the L'HÉRALDIQUE's Seal), and the Fraser Herald (the L'HÉRALDIQUE's principal artist). The L'HÉRALDIQUE's principal objective is to ensure that all Canadians who wish to use heraldry will have access to it. It also encourages good heraldic practice in Canada by working to the highest standards of the art form and by developing research and registration procedures that are consistent with an international level of excellence.

The L'HÉRALDIQUE's major activities include: granting of new arms ; registration of new grants and of existing arms, flags and badges; registration of native symbols; registration of military badges, flags and other insignia of the Canadian Forces; registration of genealogical information related to inheritance of arms; provision of information on correct heraldic practice; provision of information on heraldic artists who produce graphic or architectural projects and manufactured products; development of, and involvement in, national and regional heraldic ceremonies.

Requests for new arms or registrations of arms already borne take the form of a "petition" addressed to the Chief Herald of Canada. They should set out the background of the petitioner and, in the case of registration of existing symbols, information on the original grant and a description of the legal relationship, by statute or descent of the petitioner, to the original recipient. All petitions are reviewed by the Chief Herald, who seeks a warrant from the Herald Chancellor (or the Deputy Herald Chancellor) to grant the arms. Because arms are defined in law as a grant of honour from the Crown, the eligibility of individuals seeking arms is assessed in relation to their contribution to the country. the petitioner is responsible for the costs relating to processing the petition, including artwork and research costs incurred in producing the granting documents. Copies of all new grants are made for the archives of the L'HÉRALDIQUE and the notice of the grant is published in the Canada Gazette. Armorial grants and registrations are recorded, in pictures and text, in the Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada, an historically significant body of documentation, which is accessible to the public.

Petitions, proposals and questions should be sent to the Chief Herald of Canada, Canadian Heraldic L'HÉRALDIQUE, Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A1, Telephone 1-800-465-6890, Fax: 613 991-1681

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