South Frontenac Coat of Arms unveiled

Jeff Green | Aug 07, 2014

The South Frontenac Council chambers will never look the same again.
A brand new coat of arms for the township was unveiled on Tuesday night, August 5. It is fastened to the wall behind the Council table and can be seen from anywhere in the room.
Former township councilor, Mark Tinlin, who resigned last year in order to move to St. Thomas for family reasons, was the driving force behind establishing a coat of arms for the township during his time on council. He returned to Sydenham to participate in the unveiling.
Once the gleaming new sculpture was unveiled, Tinlin explained all the elements. There are four reeds in the middle of the coat of arms, representing the four founding townships and referring to common vegetation in the township. At the top is a loon, a reference to the lakes in the township, and on it there is a circular crest in colours that are a nod to the Algonquin heritage. On either side of the crest there are Griffon’s claws, taken from the coat of arms of Sieur de Frontenac. The loon is perched on a crown, a reference to municipal governance. The stags on either side are symbolic of the woods and the hunting traditions. One of the stags has a crest with a fish to mark recreation and tourism and the other has a milk can to illustrate the agricultural history of South Frontenac. The stags are standing on Canadian Shield rocks that are dotted with Trilliums, a common flower in South Frontenac and the floral symbol of Ontario. The wording on the sash at the bottom, "Our Strength is Our Community", was the winning entry in a township-wide slogan competition. It was submitted by township resident Neil Allan.
“This beautiful coat of arms will be here forever,” said Tinlin.
Mayor Gary Davison thanked Tinlin for his efforts, and wished him well in St. Thomas, where he is running for alderman in the coming election.