Toronto Branch Annual General Meeting Review

The Toronto Branch, the largest Branch of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada had their annual general meeting on April 5, 2008 at the stately Arts and Letters Club.

The heraldic badge for the Toronto Branch

A new executive for 2008 was nominated and accepted at this meeting. The President of the Branch remains Ilona Jurkiewicz for a second term. The position of Vice President was taken by David Steeves, with Directors repeating another term comprised of David Birtwistle, Thomas Doran and in an advisory capacity, Robbie Sprules, Lord of Wrentnall. The editor of the Hogtown Heraldry will now be David Skene-Melvin, taking the place of David E. Rumball, who was editor of the Branch's newsletter for the past 6 years.

Ilona, herself an accomplished heraldic artist, having personally painted numerous coats of arms on behalf of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa has personally taken up the task of organizing and coordinating an Armorial Bookplates Exhibit of bookplates designed and created by Gordon Macpherson, Niagara Herald Extraordinary, to be on display at the John M. Kelly Library at the University of St. Michael's College, UofT between April 21 - May 31, 2008.

Activities for 2008 for the Toronto Branch includes organizing the 4th annual Christmas dinner, typically including a special guest of some notoriety, perhaps Sir Conrad Swan, the Branch's Patron. Other special guests of the past included Vanessa Harwood, past ballerina and choreographer for the Canadian National Ballet Company and also recipient of the Order of Canada. Also, plans for the 2009 Royal Heraldry Society of Canada's Annual General Meeting to be hosted by the Toronto Branch are now underway, as well as plans being worked on for next year's heraldry display and presentation at the Royal Ontario Museum's March Break, mid-March in 2009. This will be the third year that the Toronto Branch has participated in this exciting event.