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Richmond, Quebec (Canada)

Estrie

image by Ivan Sache, 25 March 2017

The Municipality
The Flag

See also:

The Municipality

The municipality of Richmond (3,232 inhabitants in 2016; 685 ha) is located on river Saint-François, half way (40 km) of Sherbrooke and Drummondville.

Richmond was settled in 1797 by Elmor Cushing and his associates. The name of Richmond appeared for the first time on an official document dated 1822; the place was named for Charles Gordon Lennox (1764-1819), 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, Governor in Chief of British North America in 1818-1819. Richmond was incorporated as a village on 28 October 1862.

The development of Richmond was boosted by the establishment of railway. John A. Poor and Alexandre T. Galt supported a project of line connecting Island Pont (Portland) to Montreal, while another group proposed a Boston-Montréal line. The two proposals were assessed in a sledge race; the sledge from Portland reached Montreal 12 hours before its rival from Boston. On 1 July 1853, the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad Co. initiate the building of a railway connecting Longueil and Island Pond (228 km); the Saint-Hyacinthe-Richmond section (66 km) was inaugurated on 20 October 1852. The subsequent completion of the Quebec--Richmond line made of the town a significant railway station on the Chicago-Toronto line. At the end of the 19th century, Richmond counted a court, two post offices, at least six shops, a printing house, a weekly newspaper, a foundry, four hotels and 86 private houses; population grew up to 2,500 in 1908.
http://www.ville.richmond.qc.ca/ - Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 25 March 2017

The flag

The flag of Richmond is with with the municipal coat of arms. "Ville de Richmond" is written in cursive black letters beneath the arms. The flag and arms were inaugurated on 20 October 2008, in the presence of Claire Boudreau, Chief Herald of Canada.

Photo
http://www.lapresse.ca/la-tribune/actualites/estrie-et-regions/200810/24/01-32554-de-nouvelles-armoiries-a-limage-dune-region.php - La Tribune, 24 October 2008

The arms are an heraldic "regularization" of the arms used until then by the town without any official registration. They were inscribed on 20 June 2005 on the Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges, Vol. V, p. 303. The announcement of the Letters Patent was made on November 22, 2008, in Vol. 142, p. 2,984 of the Canada Gazette.

Blazon
Arms
Quarterly or and vert, a sprig of three shamrocks, a rose, a fleur-de-lis and a thistle in cross, their stems conjoined in fess point argent
Crest
A beaver couchant proper on a branch of maple vert
Supporters
Two great blue herons proper each holding in its beak a maple leaf and standing on a grassy mount vert
Motto
AB UNITATE PROSPERITAS

Symbolism
Arms
The field is divided into four parts, symbolizing a crossroads or meeting place, not unlike Richmond. The dividing lines also represent the railroad and the Rivière Saint-François, two important means of transportation in the town’s history. The central figure of the coat of arms consists of a shamrock, a rose, a fleur-de-lis and a thistle. Together, they form a single figure representing the first inhabitants of the area who came from various countries to settle in the region. The four flowers are elements taken from the town’s former emblem. Thus, they ensure the continuity of Richmond’s emblematic heritage.
Crest
The beaver symbolizes industry and the efforts of the citizens to improve their town. Sitting atop a small branch of green maple leaves, the beaver has been part of the town’s emblem for decades.
Supporters
The great blue herons are magnificent birds found in the area. They symbolize Richmond’s rich natural heritage and geographic location. Each holds a green maple leaf in its beak, recalling the small maple branch depicted in the crest.
Motto
The Latin phrase means “Prosperity through unity.”

Artist Information
Creator(s): Original concept of Claire Boudreau, Chief Herald of Canada, assisted by the heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Painter: David Farrar
Calligrapher: Shirley Mangione

http://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=1310 - Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges
http://www.ville.richmond.qc.ca/documents/signification_armoiries_2008.pdf - Official press release, Town of Richmond

Ivan Sache, 25 March 2017