Coat of Arms at Confederation Building - St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
N 47° 34.983 W 052° 43.391
22T E 370427 N 5271398
This large sky-facing Coat of Arms can be found at the provincial legislature. There's a scenic outlook from here. It was unveiled on July 1st, 2000.
Waymark Code: WMPAWV
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Date Posted: 07/31/2015
Views: 9
According to Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador:
The coat of arms is one of the oldest in Canada, second only to that of the Province of Nova Scotia. Yet it is also one of the most recent to have been adopted for official use. In November 1637, King Charles I granted the "whole Continent, Island or Region commonly called Newfoundland" to a business syndicate known as the Company of Adventurers to Newfoundland, headed by Sir David Kirke, who was governor from 1638 to 1651.
About six weeks later, in January 1638, the king also granted Kirke a coat of arms, "For the greater honour and splendour of that Countrey and the people therein inhabiting … to be used in all such cases as Armes are wont to be by other nations and Countries." Soon after, a civil war broke out in England between king and parliament. The Kirkes (as royalists) were on the losing side, and the coat of arms was forgotten. Until it was rediscovered over two hundred years later, the colony used the royal coat of arms.
The arms consist of a red shield divided in four parts by a silver cross, with lions and unicorns in the quarters. The cross is similar to one that appears on the arms of the Knights of St. John the Baptist, and probably refers to the old legend that John Cabot sighted Newfoundland on the saint's feast day (June 24) in 1497. The lions and unicorns resemble those on the royal coat of arms and represent Newfoundland and Labrador's ties to the United Kingdom.
Bearer of Coat of Arms: Other
Full name of the bearer: Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Where is Coat of Arms installed (short description) ?:
on the grounds of Confederation Building, the province's legislature (House of Assembly)
Material / Design: Painting (enamel) on metal
Address:
Prince Philip Drive St. John's, NL A1B 3V8, Canada
Web page about the structure where is Coat of Arms installed (if exists): [Web Link]
Web page about the bearer of Coat of Arms (if exists): [Web Link]
Blazon (heraldic description): Not listed
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