Chilliwack

Heraldry of the World

Canada heraldry portal
Civic heraldry of Canada
Armorial Canadienne

Arms of provinces and territories
Arms of cities, districts, towns, municipalities, townships and/or villages
Arms of universities and schools
Arms of religious institutions
Institutional heraldry of Canada
Corporate heraldry of Canada
Military heraldry of Canada
Heraldic stamps from Canada
Heraldic postcards from Canada
Total pages in the Canadian section : 1,502

CHILLIWACK

Province : British Columbia

Official blazon

Arms: Vert a cross nowy Argent charged with four hearts their points conjoined within an annulet Vert
Crest: A mural crown Argent charged with maple leaves Vert alternating with dogwood flowers proper
Supporters: Rising above barry wavy Argent and Azure charged with a Salish salmon Or a grassy mound Vert charged with two ploughs Argent between two fir tree groves Vert dexter a stag Argent attired and unguled Or gorged with a collar pendant therefrom a pentagon Vert charged with an ear of corn in pale Or sinister a stallion Argent crined and unguled Or gorged with a like collar and pendant
Motto: COR VIRIDE PROVINCIAE

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on April 15, 2005.

The core of the design is a new symbol in Canadian heraldry developed from the idea of "The Green Heart of British Columbia". The heart is shown four times, oriented to the four cardinal directions representing all the directions in the community. The hearts are framed in a green circle to underline the idea of Chilliwack being at the heart of things. The hearts are placed at the centre of two paths, giving rise to the second theme, Chilliwack as the crossroads of the Upper Fraser Valley.

The helmet and mantling, the decorative cloth in the City's colours of green and white (heraldic silver) are the two traditional components of this and most coats of arms. Today they can symbolize, in the same spirit as the knight defending his lands, the determination of citizens to safeguard and strengthen their community. Above the helmet and mantling is a special emblem, the mural coronet, often used in heraldry to represent municipal government. It carries a frieze of maple leaves and dog woods to represent a Canadian municipality in British Columbia.

The compartment on which the shield rests and the supporters stand represents symbolically, the farmlands, forested land and waters of the municipality. The First Peoples of the community are honoured through the golden salmon, rendered in Salish style. Agricultural pioneers and the agricultural industry are also highlighted through the two silver plows.

The supporter on the left side is a stag representing the rich wildlife to the City. On the right is a mare, symbol of the horsepower which was the motive force for all of Chilliwack's early agricultural development and other types of early transport and industry as well. Each supporter has a distinctive collar and pendant. The pentagon symbolizes the "five corners" of the original settlement while the corn represents all of the crops which make "The Green Heart of the Province" so well known.

The motto means "The Green Heart of the Province".