A new coat of arms was announced this past Friday for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. You can read more details in the Globe & Mail piece here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/kensington-palace-unveils-new-coat-of-arm-for-duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge/article14572753/
Given that former, one-term Mayor Phyllis Morris is Aurora’s undisputed authority on all things royal I’m surprised The Error Banner has not sought out her feedback on this as they did about the royal wedding here: https://wattstrending.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/would-you-like-cheese-on-that/
I’m also surprised, given the former Mayor’s flagrant misuse of the Prince of Wales’ feathers that I commented on here:
https://wattstrending.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/town-of-aurora-shaking-their-wales-feathers/ that Aurora doesn’t even have their own coat or arms.
Aurora’s "seal" consists of the sun in the background shining over some mountains (representing the hills surrounding Aurora) with rows of furrows dug into the earth in the foreground by a symbolized Fleury plow. It is surrounded by branches of maple leaves and the slogan "The sun is my witness" in Latin (Sol Meus Testis).
Commonly referred to as the town’s coat of arms it is not, as accurately outlined on pg 10 of the November 26th 2002 edition of The Auroran here:
http://www.newspapers-online.com/auroran/?wpfb_dl=53
I’m disappointed that neither the town, nor the ad-hoc Sesquicentennial committee didn’t seize the opportunity in celebrating the town’s 150th anniversary to correct the unofficial, unrecognized and unused emblem.
Instead the result of the "branding exercise" led by the town’s communications department, was the flat and meaningless stamp I commented on in this post here:
https://wattstrending.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/have-your-cake-and-m-eat-iocre-it-too/
Something so laughable Fast Company reduced the process down to 6 steps in this design guide here: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1673156/create-your-own-hipster-logo-in-6-steps
York Region’s coat of arms has been updated several times according to the minutes of a February 2002 meeting here:
http://www.york.ca/NR/rdonlyres/rnjslm2tl3ilxjuak6dlsck4omqkca7ip6bhpr2gcfgtpqgkpgefvtolmrxj453echwa23nkyaob4k53kqin6iq3nd/feb21.pdf
The Region also registered their Coat of Arms to provide protection against the improper and unauthorized use of the image, and symbolize the Region’s authority, history and identity. They found it consistent with the plan to preserve Regional heritage and culture as set out in York Region’s Vision 2026 document as documented here: http://www.york.ca/Regional+Government/Council+Highlights/February+21,+2002.htm?ODA=1
Our neighbors in the region also seem to be mores suited up than Aurora.
Markham’s coat of arms is outlined here:
http://www.ngw.nl/int/can/markham.htm
Whitchurch-Stoufville officially adopted their coat of arms on November 27, 1973. The design was developed by International Coats of Arms, Heraldic House Limited: http://www.townofws.com/about_flag.asp
Richmondhill doesn’t have a coat of arms but its crest is derived from the Duke of Richmond’s coat-of-arms, its evolution in described here:
http://www.richmondhill.ca/subpage.asp?pageid=town_logo_history
In contrast to all of this Newmarket abandoned their quasi coat of arms when it was determined that 8 per cent of respondents could correctly identify it: http://www.newmarket.ca/en/townhall/newmarketmaygetnewlook.asp
One would think that instead of following Newmarket’s lead Aurora would embrace it’s "past, present and future" in the emblem they chose to signify it, but seeing as the efforts to date to celebrate our heritage have been woeful mediocre and entirely disengaging I suppose a 6-step hipster logo is more appropriate.
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