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Blazon

Or, a pile barry wavy argent and azure, charged with a lion rampant gules armed of the field and pierced through the middle by an arrow.
(Glossary of Heraldic Terms)

Significance

This ship is named for Cordova Bay, Vancouver Island. Initially, Sub-lieutenant Quimper of the Spanish Navy anchored in Esquimalt harbour, June 30, 1790, and named it Peurto de Cordoba, in honour of Don Antonio Maria Bucareti Cordoba, the 46th Viceroy of Mexico. This was the first recorded visit of any vessel to the port. In 1842 however, officers of the Hudson’s Bay Company transferred the name to another port northeast of Victoria which, while named Cormorant Bay, was referred to locally as Cordova Bay. In 1905, the name was confirmed by the Geographical Board of Canada The lion with an arrow through its middle is from the arms of the City of Cordova, Spain. This was placed upon a V-shaped compartment of heraldic water representing the Bay itself.

Remarks

Cordova was originally the USN motor minesweeper YMS-420. She was purchased by the RCN in December 1951, and commissioned in August 1952. Wearing pennant 158, she served as the Vancouver Reserve Division tender until paid off in April 1957.

Colours

Gold and red

References

Badges Of The Canadian Navy by Arbuckle, J. Graeme. Halifax: Nimbus Publishing, 1987.