The coat of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 of Peterborough

Peterborough, Ontario

Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, was adopted on 7 May 1951.

Peterborough is one of the few cities in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 to have an authentic coat of arms with exclusive right to its use. It was devised and granted by the College of Heralds of England.
The shield itself has a green background

Field (heraldry)

In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the field. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures or furs. The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern....

. This represents the ‘champs' (French for ‘field') in the word "Champlain", a reference to the explorer's

Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....

 expedition through the Peterborough area in 1615. The green can also refer to the Emerald Isle

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, from which the first Irish immigrants were brought under the direction of the Peter Robinson

Peter Robinson (1785-1838)

Peter Robinson was born in New Brunswick, the eldest son of Christopher Robinson and Esther Sayre, ayre. He had two brothers, John Beverley and William Benjamin, and two sisters....

 in 1825. It also refers to the fields and forests of the area.
The sword refers to the British soldiers and officers who fought in the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

 and in the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

, and were granted tracts of land in the Peterborough region. The wavy blue-and-white bars signify the Otonabee River

Otonabee River

The Otonabee River is a river that runs from Katchewanooka Lake near Lakefield, into the east side of Peterborough, Ontario , through Little Lake and down 30 km into the northwestern side of Rice Lake...

 that cuts through the city, as well as the other numerous lakes and rivers in the area.

The crest above Peterborough's shield of arms is mounted on a wreath of the two chief colours of the shield, green and silver. On a log of wood cross-wise is a Canadian beaver, grasping in its left (sinister) forepaw a gold key pointing upwards and to the left. This is to represent the key of St. Peter, a tribute to the Roman Catholic third of the city's population, to the religion of the Irish immigrants, and to 'Peter' in the city's name.

The supporters of the shield represent the history and nature of Peterborough. The stag

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

 on the left-hand side is symbolic of Peterborough's natural surroundings. On the right-hand side is a red lion with its neck encircled by a golden crown chained over its back. The lion is taken from the Duke of Wellington's

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...

 arms, as it was under him that many officers and men settled the area.

The green mound under the shield and supporters refers to the pastoral nature of the country south of the city. The city of Peterborough's motto

Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...

, "Nature Provides, Industry Develops", is interpretively translated into Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

(Dat Natura, Elaborant Artes), which in turn broadly means that Nature gives bountifully and the crafts and energy of the people elaborate nature's gift.

Source: The City of Peterborough website