Object Title
Township of Kingston Coat of Arms
Object Name
Coat of Arms
Artist/Maker
Edward H. (Ted) Wakeling
Date Made
1973
Materials
Card Stock
Catalogue Number
2017.003.013
Dimensions

Length 40.6 cm x Width 30.6 cm

Description

A black and white official crest for the Township of Kingston. The crest consists of a shield in the centre that is divided into 3 sections, from top left to bottom right they are: a sailing vessel, a grist mill and a farmer ploughing a field. The shield is capped with a crown. There is a supporter on either side of the shield, the one on the left is a man and the one on the right is a woman. There is a ribbon-style banner above and below the shield with "TOWNSHIP OF KINGSTON" above and "INCORPORATED 1850" below. Underneath the image of the crest is a body of text that describes the meaning behind certain features of the crest.

History

The Township of Kingston crest was designed by E. H. (Ted) Wakeling, a well known Kingston designer and painter who chose his design from scenes directly related to Kingston Township.

The shield is divided into three sections. The upper left depicts a sailing ship, representative of the importance of Lake Ontario for trade, communication and defence. The upper right shows the old grist mill at Kingston Mills, one of the first in the area that ground the flour for the early settlers. The bottom half of the shield shows a settler ploughing land that he has cleared from the forests with his ox. The shield rests on an outline map of the Township, and supporting the shield on each side are a man and a woman.

The man represents the United Empire Loyalist who chose to live under the Crown and who often left their homes and sometimes their families in the United States to start life anew. It was the immigration of the United Empire Loyalists that settled Kingston Township to a great extent.

The woman in authentic dress of French Canada represents the first woman to hold land in Ontario. She came to Kingston, then Fort Frontenac, in 1675 and was given a grant of land in the Collins Bay area.

The shield is capped by the Crown as a symbol of British heritage. The design is used as a centre piece on a chain that was worn by the Reeve on public occasions.