The contents of this Register are intended for research purposes only. The heraldic emblems found in the Register may not be reproduced in any form or in any media without the written consent of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and/or the recipient.
Sydney, Nova Scotia
Registration of Arms, Supporters and Badge
September 15, 2025
Vol. VIII, p. 423
Arms of the City of SydneyBlazonBarry wavy Azure and Argent a Cape Breton sloop Gules, a chief paly each pallet per bend Gules and Or; SymbolismThe Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The Cape Breton sloop is taken from the Great Seal of the Colony of Cape Breton (1784-1820) and honours the city’s position at the time as the colony’s capital. The wavy bands likely allude to the coastal location of the city. |
CrestBlazonRays of the sun Or issuant from a mural crown Argent masoned Sable charged with a saltire Azure surmounted by a maple leaf Gules; SymbolismThe Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The mural crown is a heraldic symbol denoting a municipality. The cross references the arms of Nova Scotia, while the maple leaf is a reference to Canada. |
MottoBlazonDROIT ET AVANT; SymbolismThese French words mean “Upright and forward.” |
SupportersBlazonDexter a steel worker of the 20th century holding a steel worker’s hammer head downwards, sinister a fisherman habited in oilskins holding a codfish haurient, both standing on a grassy mount set with outcroppings of coal proper; SymbolismThe steel worker alludes to the city’s pre-eminence in the early 20th century as one of the largest steel mills in the world. The fisherman evokes the city’s maritime history. The coal outcroppings represent the coal mining industry for which the city was also known in the 19th and 20th centuries. |
Badge of the City of SydneyBlazonA maple leaf Gules dimidiating a pheon enfiling a mural crown Argent masoned Sable charged with a saltire Azure; SymbolismThe crown, the cross and the maple leaf repeat the symbolism of the Crest. The pheon, a type of arrowhead, is the main symbol in the arms of Viscount Sydney, the city’s namesake. |
BackgroundCanada Gazette InformationSince 2023, grants, registrations and approvals of heraldic emblems are no longer announced in the Canada Gazette.   |
Additional InformationCreator(s)Original concept of the College of Arms, London. PainterArtist of the College of Arms, London / Artiste du Collège d’armes, Londres CalligrapherNot applicable Recipient TypeCivil Institution Other InformationThe recipient’s emblems were originally recorded at the College of Arms, London, England, 30 June 1972. |