Polar Medal

Blazon

Suspended by a representation of the North Star affixed to a clasp from a ribbon Argent, an octagonal medal the obverse bearing a contemporary effigy of Her Majesty The Queen of Canada contourné wearing a diadem of maple leaves and snowflakes and a fur collar, and environed by the inscriptions ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA and CANADA separated by two maple leaves, the reverse bearing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police schooner St. Roch, to the dexter an iceberg and ice shelf on which stand two men vested with parkas, in chief clouds, all Argent;

Symbolism

The obverse depicts a contemporary effigy of the Sovereign of Canada, in whose name the medal is bestowed. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is wearing a diadem made of maple leaves and snowflakes, as well as a fur collar, symbolizing her relationship with Canada and the country’s relationship with winter and the North Pole. On the reverse, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police schooner and crew members standing on ice illustrate the Canadian tradition of Arctic explorations, commemorating the St. Roch patrolling the North throughout the Second World War. The St. Roch was the first ship to cross the Northwest Passage from west to east (1940-1942) and the first ship to completely circumnavigate North America (1950). The white of the ribbon symbolizes the Arctic’s emblematic ice and permafrost. The white ribbon, the octagonal shape of the medal and its obverse edge decorated with small denticles are traditional features of Polar and Arctic medals. The two limbs of the suspension, with the North Star in their centre, evoke the strong winds, water currents and aurora borealis that are typical of the far north.