Hamilton (Ontario, township)

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HAMILTON (township)

Province : Ontario

Arms (crest) of Hamilton (Ontario, township)

Official blazon

Arms: Gules two garbs Or in fess each within three fish interlaced Argent between in chief a fountain and in base two bars wavy Argent
Crest: Issuant from a mural coronet Vert set with a frieze of ten pairs of maple seeds (five visible) a demi otter Or gorged with hearts and holding in the dexter forepaw a quill pen Gules
Supporters: Dexter, a beaver, sinister a horse, both Or billety Azure standing on a grassy mount proper rising above barry wavy Argent and Azure
Motto: BY LAND AND WATER WE FLOURISH

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on August 13, 1996.

The colours red and white are taken from the arms of the Chief of Clan Hamilton and they honour Henry Hamilton, Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (1782-1785), the Township’s namesake. The fountain (disc with wavy bars) refers to Rice Lake and the wavy white bars refer to Lake Ontario, two geographic features from this region. The sheaves of grain represent the agricultural heritage and landscape associated with the Township. The six fish symbolize the hamlets which comprise the historic settlements of the Township: Baltimore, Bewdley, Camborne, Cold Springs, Gore’s Landing and Harwood. The fish also refer to an important recreation activity in the region.

The mural coronet signifies that these are the arms of a municipal corporation. The green stones are a reference to the Township’s cultivated fields interspersed with woodlands. They also allude to the dominant colour in the arms of Northumberland County. The maple seeds refer to the ten concessions of the Township. The otter continues the theme regarding the interrelationship between land and water. It wears a collar of hearts to honour the day the Township acquired its name, 14 February 1791. The quill is in recognition of the two famous authors who made the Township their home in the 19th century: Catherine Parr Traill and Joseph Scriven.

The beaver is taken from the arms of Sir Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester, who ordered the survey of the land on which the Township is located. It also honours Canada. The horse celebrates the pioneers and agricultural activities as well as the increasing recreational use of horses in the present. The beaver and horse are made distinctive with blue rectangles on gold, opposite to the colours of the arms of the Counts of Nassau. This is a reference to the fact that the Township was originally part of the former District of Nassau and the Province of Upper Canada (now Ontario).

The motto is an expression of the Township’s history and its ongoing character.