Saint-Georges-de-Beauce (Quebec, Canada)

The City ("Ville") of Saint-Georges-de-Beauce (30,268 inhabitants in 2007; 19,951 ha) is the seat of the Municipalité régionale de comté Beauce-Sartigan, Région of Chaudière-Appalaches, Québec. In 2002 it amalgamated with Saint-Georges-Est (4,110 inh.), Aubert-Gallion (2,444 inh.) and Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande (786 inh.).

The territory of Saint-Georges was settled around 1697 by Catholic, French-speaking Abénaquis (Algonquin Indians), who founded the village of Sartigan near the confluency of the river Famine with the Chaudière. The Jesuit Father Gabriel Druillettes, Ambassador of the King of France, had visited the region of Beauce in 1646, 1650 and 1651, but these visits were not immediatly followed by European colonization. On 24 September 1736, the territory of Saint-Georges, then part of the Kingdom of France, was divided into the two domains of Aubert-Gallion (located west of the Famine and granted to Marie-Thérèse de la la Lande Gayon) and Aubin de l'Isle. In 1768, the domain of Aubert-Gallion was transferred to the English William Grant, while the domain of Aubin de l'Isle was split into three parts, Fief Saint-Charles de la Belle-Alliance, Fief Sainte-Barde de la Famine and Fief Cumberland. Considered as the true founder of the parish of Saint-Georges, the German Jean Georges Pfotzer became in 1808 the fourth lord of Aubert-Gallion.

The village of Saint-Georges developed after the opening of the Justinian Road to Québec in 1812 and of the Kennebec Road, between Québec and Maine, in 1830. The economic boost of Saint-Georges started after the inauguration of the railway station in winter 1907.

Source:Municipal website

The flag of Saint-Georges, as reported by Luc Baronian on 2 June 2007 (personal sighting), is a blue-white-red Canadian pale with the coat of arms centered.

There is a colour photography of the flag on the municipal website.

The coat of arms of Saint-Georges-de-Beauce is described on a dedicated page of the municipal website:

D’Argent à la croix de gueules cantonnée au un et quatre d’un fer de moulin d’azur, au deux et trois d’une flamme de gueules et sur le tout d’azur à la croix d’argent. L’écu timbré d’un heaume coiffé de lambrequins de gueules doublés d’argent et d’une torque des mêmes émaux.

Argent a cross gules cantonned 1 and 4 with a fer de moline azure 2 and 3 with a flame gules, allover an escutcheon azure a cross argent. The shield surmonted with a helmet coiffed with mantlings gules lined argent and of a torque of the same.

The escutcheon recalls the French origin of the town while the red cross is the St. George's cross. The fers de moline symbolize industry and the red flames represent energy and warm welcome.

Crest: "Un cheval d’argent chargé sur l’épaule d’une croix latine de gueules et naissant d’une couronne composée d’un cercle d’argent rehaussé de feuilles d’érable de gueules alternant avec des fleurs de lis d’azur.".

A horse argent charged on the shoulder with a Latin cross gules and issuant from a crown made of a circle argent enhabced with maple leaves gules alternating with fleurs-de-lis azure.

Motto: "Ensemble pour l'avenir" - Together for the future.

The grant of arms was signed by Judith Anne LaRocque, Chancellor of Arms, and by Robert D. Watt, Herald of Arms of Canada. The arms were officially granted to Mayor Paul-Henri Lacasse on 11 February 1993 by Governor General of Canada Ramon John Hnatyshyn.
Ivan Sache, 30 January 2008