Des armoiries Berthier-sur-Mer Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Berthier-sur-Mer is inspired by the region’s geography. Alternating white and blue bars represent the St. Lawrence River, while a green band symbolizes forests and agriculture and may also allude to bike paths in more mountainous areas and to the river’s coves. A white bar between the blue and green separates those colors clearly and may also refer to bike paths used for skiing in winter. The sun above symbolizes something essential to recreation and agriculture. Together these elements create an impression of water, greenery, and weather suited to vacationers. The bull’s head alludes to the arms of Berthier du Périgord, from which the seigneur Alexandre Berthier came, and the oak leaf recalls the arms of Saint-Aignan of Normandy and the first seigneur, Nicolas Marsolet de Saint-Germain. Historically, the municipality originated with the seigneury of Belle-Chasse, granted to Nicolas Marsolet de Saint-Aignon in 1637 and ceded in 1672 to Isaac Berthier Alexander. Marie-Françoise Viennay-Pachot, widow of the eldest son of the sieur de Berthier and seigneuress of Berthier-Belle-Chasse, donated a lot in 1706 within the present limits of the municipality for a church and presbytery. Baron Metcalfe, then Governor-General, appointed the first council members, and that council met in Berthier in 1845. Berthier-en-bas became a municipality with a council elected by taxpayers on July 1, 1855, and it was renamed Municipalité de Berthier-sur-Mer on July 28, 1971.

Quebec · Canada