Academy Coat of Arms and Logo

The Academy has been granted by the Governor General of Canada, as the Head of Canada's Heraldic Authority, the right to use the coat of arms illustrated above and on the membership certificates. The shield and motto are used as the Academy's logo.

The shield is supported by a bridge which is actually the pioneer reinforced-concrete rigid-frame bridges of Canadian National Railways (carrying the main line from Montreal to Toronto). Under the bridge is a symbolic representation of water, one of the essentials of life with which so much engineering is concerned, and a motto which is also a part of the Academy's Logo.

The mandatory shield shows, in its subdivisions, the sun (the source of all energy), some masonry (as a reminder that building is a vital part of engineering) and a maple leaf (indicating clearly that it is the coat of arms of the Canadian Academy of Engineering).

A beaver sits atop of the essential helmet with gold chain and key, signifying the engineer's control over the unlocking of the forces of nature.

Finally the standing of the Academy is such that it is desirable that its bearings include supporters which are two Pantheons, mythical animals rarely to be found in such use. The stars covering the bodies of the animals are symbols of ideas from which practical plans develop the flash of insight which is essential for all engineers. Each animal grasps a flash of lightning (using the linear symbol for such discharges) indicative of the harnessing of electrical energy.