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Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia (Canada)

by Rob Raeside

Description of the Flag

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Description of the flag

From the web page at http://www.cbrm.ns.ca/flag.html

The flag of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is very beautiful in its simplicity - it is basically the green shield with the Cape Breton Sloop in gold and white (the sails) surrounded by the double border connecting the eight maple leafs. The number of maple leafs refers to the eight municipal units that were amalgamated on August 1, 1995, to become the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The Cape Breton Sloop is taken from the original Great Seal of Cape Breton in the early 1800's when Cape Breton was a British Colony. Like the flag of Canada, the flag for the Regional Municipality is readily identifiable because it is so unique.

Rob Raeside, 25 October 2004

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM; 101,619 inhabitants in 2011, therefore the second most populous municipality in Nova Scotia; 24,333 ha) is located on the eastern side of Cape Breton Island. CBRM was formed on 1 August 1995 through the amalgamation of the Municipality of the County of Cape Breton, the City of Sydney, the Towns of Glace Bay, Sydney Mines, New Waterford, North Sydney, Dominion and Louisbourg.

A photo shows the flag hoisted in Sydney, together with the flags of Canada and Nova Scotia.
http://www.cbrm.ns.ca/sydney-gallery.html
http://www.cbrm.ns.ca/images/stories/sydney/056.jpg

The coat of arms is presented as follows:
"Granted in 1997, the coat of arms acknowledges, through eight maple leafs on a shield, the former municipalities that now comprise the regional unit. The shield, the main element of the coat of arms, also features a Cape Breton sloop taken from the original Great Seal of Cape Breton. The colours green and gold represent forestry and tourism and reflect the Cape Breton tartan. The shield is supported by a horse and a unicorn whose collars include symbols of coal and steel, as well as a violin and bow indicative of the creative spirit of the Cape Breton people and a garb of wheat representing hospitality. The crest consists of a crown of stone with an open portcullis (gate) referring to our historic gateway link welcoming immigrants to the Western World. A rising phoenix, represented by a bald eagle, symbolizes the birth of a new municipality from the remains of the old.

The unit rests on a stone wall, representing the Municipality's fortifications, including Fortress Louisbourg, and features a cape promontory alluding to the formal name of our municipality.

The motto, "Fortuna Non Mutat Genus", translates "Circumstance Does Not Change Our Origin", a fitting motto for this new municipality. The motto "A Community of Communities" refers to the amalgamation which took place in 1995.
http://www.cbrm.ns.ca/coat-of-arms.htm > - Municipal website

The symbols of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality were granted on 16 April 1997 by Letters Patented published in the Public Registry of Arms, Flags and Badges, Vol. III, p. 166, as announced on 24 March 2001 in the Canada Gazette, Vol. 135, p. 937.

Motto
FORTUNA NON MUTAT GENUS. This Latin phrase means "Fortune does not change our nature".

Arms
Vert within a double tressure erablé counter-erablé of eight or a Cape Breton sloop or, sails argent, pennon or;
Crest
Issuant from a mural coronet vert masoned or its gate gules with portcullis raised between two windows all or a phoenix also or head argent beaked or rising from flames gules;

Supporters
On a compartment of a quay of stone argent masoned sable curving away from the shield rising above barry wavy azure and argent enclosing a cape promontory set with fir trees vert and mayflowers proper dexter a stallion argent crined and unguled sable gorged with a collar the rim set on and above with lozenges sable pendant therefrom a torteau charged with a garb or sinister a unicorn argent armed, crined and unguled or gorged with a collar rim set above with the ends of rails gules pendant therefrom a torteau charged with a fiddle in saltire with a bow or;

Motto: A COMMUNITY OF COMMUNITIES;
Flag: A banner of the arms;
Badge: Eight maple leaves interlaced stems inwards or charged with an octagon Vert surcharged with a Cape Breton sloop or sails argent pennon or.
http://archive.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=684 - Public Registry of Arms, Flags and Badges

Ivan Sache, 30 July 2012