Arms of Leonard Hanson Nicholson

Blazon

Or on a fess cotised Azure between three eagles’ heads erased Sable a bison’s head caboshed proper between a Maltese cross Argent and a fleur-de-lis Or;

*In the painting produced by the College of Arms, the Arms are depicted with the addition of a chief of the arms of the Grand Priory of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, a privilege bestowed on Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order. In addition, the edges of the Maltese cross behind the shield should be black, not gold, representing the Badge of the Order.

Symbolism

The Canadian Heraldic Authority does not have confirmed symbolism for this emblem. The following comments are hypotheses only. The three eagles’ heads on a yellow background are likely taken from the arms of the chief of the Scottish clan Nicolson. The bison’s head is a symbol of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), for which Mr. Nicholson was the tenth Commissioner in the 1950s. The Maltese cross indicates his involvement with the Order of St. John. The fleur-de-lis is the symbol of the scouting movement and indicates that Mr. Nicholson served as Deputy Chief Scout of Canada.