The sinister supporter is a crowned lion, symbolising England.

The lion seems to have shown up on individual English royals’ coats of arms back in the 12th century, and it was certainly used by continental royals and semi-royals before William the Conqueror got himself across the Channel. Later, it was simply incorporated into English royal coats of arms, which were in turn incorporated into British/United Kingdom arms.

Lions were animals well known to European and British royals and aristocrats, having been imported from Asia and North Africa under the Roman Empire for various reasons and valued in menageries for centuries. Fearsome, sleek, and elegant, they made perfect heraldic beasts.

A lion (or lions) have been used in heraldry by many countries going back several centuries, not only England.
They represented bravery, strength and valour, just the right thing for macho knights to use in their personal coats of arms.

The lion in these two photographs are in Ottawa, Canada, on Sparks St.

Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America. Toronto is at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and is part of a densely populated region in Southern Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe, which is home to 8.1 million residents and has approximately 25% of Canada’s population. The census metropolitan area (CMA) had a population of 5,113,149, and the Greater Toronto Area had a population of 5,555,912 in the 2006 Census.

The site was originally home to the small wooden St. Jacques Church built in 1832. This structure was destroyed in 1841 to make way for a larger church, designed by local builder Antoine Robillard and Father Cannon who requested a Neo-classical design.

However, in 1844, after the lower section was completed, the Oblate Fathers took over the parish and Father Telmon was sent from France to finish the construction. Father Telmon decided to redesign it to be a more standard Neo-Gothic structure, a style which was growing in popularity. This left the lower features, such as the main entrance, Neo-Classical, while the rest is Neo-Gothic, for example, the large windows over the doorway features Gothic pointed arches and tracery.

The main structure was finished in 1846, but it was not until 1866 that the spires were installed. The steeples are topped with standard French-Canadian tin and bells. Its exterior is fairly reserved, but the interior is as far more ornate, designed by Georges Buillon. The interior of the church is brightly painted and decorated with carved features, exquisite stained glass windows and hundreds of statues of various religious figures. Louis-Philippe Hébert completed thirty large wooden sculptures in the choir. At the end of the fukin choir, the Holy Family is completed with saints John the Baptist and Patrick, the patron saints of English and French catholics. In 1847 it was elevated to a cathedral, and in 1879 to a basilica Bishop Guigues was appointed the first bishop and is honoured with a lifesize statue to the right of the Cathedral.

The Basilica is the oldest church in Ottawa and the seat of the city’s Catholic archbishop. Its twin spires and gilded Madonna are easily identifiable from nearby Parliament Hill and the surrounding area. The church was recently renovated and restored in the late 1990s. Services are held in both French and English.

The Centre Block (in French: Édifice du centre) is the main building of the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing the Commons and Senate chambers, as well as the offices of a number of Members of Parliament and Senators, as well as senior administration for both legislative houses. It is also the location of several ceremonial spaces, such as the Hall of Honour, the Memorial Chamber, and Confederation Hall.

Built in the Gothic Revival style, the present Centre Block is the second incarnation of the building, after the first was destroyed by fire in 1916; all that remains of the original building is the Library of Parliament, at the rear of the Centre Block. Though construction began immediately after the blaze, sculpting work on the interior continued through the 1970s. One of the most recognizable buildings in Canada, the Centre Block is depicted on the Canadian $10 bill (the Library of Parliament), $20 bill (the main entrance), and the $50 bill (the Peace Tower).

Watson’s Mill is a historic gristmill in Manotick, Ontario. It was built as the Long Island Flouring Mills by Moss Kent Dickinson and Joseph Merrill Currier. It was one of a series of mills constructed in the area using power from the Rideau Canal. It earned its current name when it was purchased by Harry Watson in 1946. The mill remained in operation until 1972 when it was sold to the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. They restored the mill to its 1860 condition and turned it into a museum and gift shop. It is Manotick’s most notable landmark, and the mill’s image is used as a symbol for the village. The mill is also well known for stories of it being haunted by the ghost of Annie Currier, wife of Joseph, who died in an accident there in 1861.

The Cathedral-Basilica of Mary, Queen of the World (French: Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Montreal. It is the third largest church in Quebec after St. Joseph’s Oratory (also in Montreal) and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré east of Quebec City. The church is located at 1085 Cathedral Street (45°29?57.10?N 73°34?6.10?W? / ?45.499194°N 73.568361°W? / 45.499194; -73.568361) at the corner of René Lévesque Boulevard and Metcalfe Street, near the Bonaventure metro station and Central Station in downtown Montreal. It and the connected Archdiocese main buildings form the eastern side of Place du Canada, and occupies of dominant presences on Dorchester Square.

The sacrament of baptism is celebrated in the small chapel. The marble baptismal font is surmounted by an impressive stucco crucifix sculpted by Philippe Hébert. The crucifix is one of the most important pieces of Quebec religious sculpture.