When the
Regional Municipality of Niagara celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 1995,
they approached the Chief Herald of Canada to be issued with a
distinctive Coat of Arms that represented the history and
peoples of one of Canada's most distinctive areas.
As part of its own 25th
Anniversary celebrations, to celebrate its history, and to
recognize the rich heritage of the Niagara Region, the Niagara
Regional Police Service accepted a suggestion from then Sergeant
Bob Ciupa, and sought permission from the Regional Municipality
of Niagara to use the shield from its Coat of Arms as the basis
to have new colours issued to the Service.
The colours, presented on October
6th, 1996, by the Honourable Henry N. R. Jackman, Lieutenant
Governor of Ontario, include the version of the national badge
for municipal police services in the form particular to the
Niagara Regional Police Service. The national badge was
created in 1991 by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation
of His Excellency the Governor General. It may be granted
to any municipal police service which is part of a municipal
corporation that possess a Coat of Arms by lawful grant from the
Crown.
An element shared by all such
badges is a frame of gold maple leaves rising up from a
representation of the provincial flower from the Province in
which the service is sited, all ensigned by the Royal
Crown. Also shared is the shield of arms of the particular
community, encircled by a scroll containing the motto of the
Police Service to whom the badge is granted.
The
central element of the Niagara Regional Police Service badge is
its shield, drawn from the Coat of Arms of the Regional
Municipality of Niagara. It is a pictorial representation
of Niagara's past and present. Its green background
represents the rich agricultural lands and abundant parks of the
Region. The blue and white band in the centre represents
both the Niagara Escarpment and Niagara Falls, as well as the
Welland Canal, with its locks represented in the chevrons.
These 12 blue chevrons also represent the 12 area municipalities
linked together in the Region. The gold lines represent
the wealth, which flows from the attributes of Regional
Niagara. The Royal Crown, in gold, symbolizes the first
Parliament in Ontario in Newark (Niagara on the Lake) and the
strong Loyalist tradition. Her Majesty gave Royal approval
at Windsor Castle during the week of April 16th, 1996 for the
Niagara Regional Police Service to use this crown in its badge.
Our Regional motto, "Unity
Loyalty Responsibility" recognizes the important
foundations of Niagara's history and imparts a vision of the
future upon which generations may focus.
This Badge becomes the third in
the history of the Niagara Regional Police Service, but for the
first time, it is a symbol created specifically for the Niagara
Regional Police; one that represents our community, our peoples
and our heritage.
|