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Blazon

Vert, rising out of fire in base proper, a partridge or.
(Glossary of Heraldic Terms)

Significance

This ship is named in honour of Father Jean de Brebeuf, a Jesuit missionary who was martyred on the 16th of March 1649 near St. Ignace, Ontario. After all the torture he had been through, his captors were unable to force him to renounce his faith, and to hide their failure, burned him at the stake. This badge depicts a partridge rising out of a mass of flame, and is intended as a reminder of the legend of the Phoenix, the mythical bird who was consumed by the flames that burned its nest. Even so, an egg survived, and warmed by the sun, hatched to produce the next Phoenix and perpetuate the species. In this same manner, the courage displayed by Father Brebeuf at the end of his life lives on and is an inspiration to all who hear the story.

Remarks

St. John (I) was a River class frigate. She was commissioned into the RCN in December 1943, and wore pennant K456 until paid off in November 1945. St. John (II), the inspiration for this badge, was a Saint class tug, and was commissioned into the RCN in November 1956. Though no longer in commission, she continued to wear pennant 532 until she was paid off in 1972.

Colours

Gold and green

References

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