The colours and arrangement of the shield recall the Franco-Ontarian flag, honouring the armiger’s many years of service to French-language education in Ontario. Green and white are also the colours of the charitable organization known as the Order of St. Lazarus, of which the armiger is a leading member. Pink lady’s slippers grow in abundance at the armiger’s great-aunt’s home near Bonaventure, Quebec, where the Henrys settled in the seventeenth century. With its heads facing left and right, it looks Janus-like into the past and the future, a symbol of the armiger’s fascination with history. The ciborium is an attribute of St. Bonaventure, patron of the parish of Bonaventure. It also honours Mr. Henry’s services to Catholic education in Northern Ontario.

The bear crest symbolizes his service as a member of the Cadet Instructor Cadre, and his fourteen years’ service in the Canadian Forces, from which he retired as a major in 2000. It is white to indicate his interest in travel, particularly in northern Canada. The carpenter’s square honours his maternal ancestor, Jean Beaulne, who became a house builder in Lachine following his discharge from the French army.

Motto: This Latin phrase means “By teaching I learn the truth”. It is inspired by the mottos of Harvard University, Veritas (“Truth”), where the armiger studied educational leadership, and of the Regional Cadet Instructor School (Central), Docendo discimus (“We learn by teaching”), where the armiger served as Officer Commanding of the Borden Training Centre.

The armiger received assistance for the original concept of Forrest Past from the Heralds of the Canadian Heraldic Authority and was assisted in the second, additional registration by Manon Labelle.