In 1967, the City of Guelph commissioned the making of a chain of office in recognition of Canada’s Centennial year. The chain of office was crafted by Thomas Fattorini Ltd. of Birmingham, England. The wearing of mayoral regalia is an English tradition which dates back to at least the 14th Century. The chain of office is worn by the Mayor at Council meetings and other formal functions.Guelph’s chain of office has 17 shields engraved with subjects of local significance. They are:
- Tree stump to represent founding of Guelph by John Galt
- Railroad to represent the City’s own railway
- Book of learning
- Hand shown outspread to represent the layout of the original town street pattern
- Sheaf of wheat to represent local agriculture
- Winged wheel to represent industry and transport
- Horn of plenty to represent a prosperous community
- Crown
- Maple Leaf
- Horse to represent the Horse of Hanover
- Music
- Church
- Sprinter to represent sports
- Crossed baseball bat and hockey stick to represent sports
- Cattle
- Field gun
- Rock strata to represent limestone.
The chain of office is also engraved with the names of the seven Mayors who have worn it.
- Ralph W. Smith (1963-1967, 1970)
- Paul W. Mercer (1968-1969)
- Norman Jary (1970-1985)
- John Counsell (1985-1994)
- Joe Young (1994-2000)
- Kate Quarrie (2003-2006)
- Karen Farbridge (2000-2003, 2006-2014)
- Cam Guthrie (2014 – present)
Images
-
- The entire Chain of Office
-
- Tree stump to represent founding of Guelph by John Galt
-
- Railroad to represent the City’s own railway
-
- Book of learning
-
- Hand shown outspread to represent the layout of the original town street pattern
-
- Sheaf of wheat to represent local agriculture
-
- Winged wheel to represent industry and transport
-
- Horn of plenty to represent a prosperous community
-
- Crown emblem
-
- Maple leaf emblem
-
- Horse to represent the Horse of Hanover
-
- Music emblem
-
- Church emblem
-
- Sprinter to represent sports
-
- Crossed baseball bat and hockey stick to represent sports
-
- Cattle emblem
-
- Field gun emblem
-
- Rock strata to represent limestone.
-
- Ralph W. Smith – Guelph Mayor (1963-1967, 1970)
-
- Paul W. Mercer – Guelph Mayor (1968-1969)
-
- Norman Jary – Guelph Mayor (1970-1985)
-
- John Counsell – Guelph Mayor (1985-1994)
-
- Joe Young – Guelph Mayor (1994-2000)
-
- Kate Quarrie – Guelph Mayor (2003-2006)
-
- Karen Farbridge – Guelph Mayor (2000-2003, 2006-2014)
