At the time this article was written John McDonough was a Research Officer in the Research Branch of the Library of Parliament

Some additional facts have come to light concerning the provincial Maces of Manitoba and Quebec. It is the wish of the author to correct a mistake in the article: "The Maces of the Canadian Provincial and Territorial Legislatures" in the October 1979 edition of this Review, in which a description of the original wooden Manitoba Mace was associated with a picture of the present Manitoba Mace. The following pictures and information have been made available through the good offices of Harry E. Graham, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. (Photo 1. next page) is a picture of the first Mace to be introduced in the very first provincial Assembly of Manitoba. It was described in the previous article as being made of gilded wood. Its head was carved out of the hub of a Red River cart wheel and its staff had been a part of the flagstaff of the Wolseley Expeditionary Force.

The present Manitoba Mace was made by M. Chanteloupe of Montreal. It first appeared on 13 March, 1884, at the opening of the old Legislative Building that stood on Kennedy Street, Winnipeg. In January, 1920, it accompanied the Legislature when it moved to its present quarters on Broadway.

Its general design is very similar to other Maces of that period; it was modelled on the Mace of the British House of Commons, at Westminster, London. Made of brass, gold-plated and highly polished, it is five feet in length and weighs approximately twenty-eight pounds. The staff has a massive base and is divided at intervals by two fluted knops, its whole length being richly chased with a floral scroll containing the Rose, Thistle, Shamrock and Fleur-de-Lis. Its cylindrical head is supported by four gracefully curved bracket. The head is divided into four panels by female figures and each panel contains one of the following embossed emblems: Rose, Thistle, Harp and Fleur-de-Lis. These are the traditional symbols found on the Maces of the Canadian and British Parliaments. Above each emblem is a Crown, in high relief, and above the Crown are the initials V.R., indicating that Queen Victoria was the sovereign when the Mace was procured. The head is surmounted by the Royal Crown, with the fillet of its headband studded with coloured glass to represent the Crown jewels. The Royal Crown surmounting the head of the Mace is the symbol of the Monarch as the head of the State and of the unity that is necessary between Crown and State to ensure the smooth functioning of responsible government.

On each of the four arches of the Crown is the figure of a beaver to indicate that Manitoba acknowledges Canada's sovereignty. At the junction of the arches is an orb and cross to represent the spiritual authority. This Mace is on display in the Legislative Building of Manitoba. It stands as an enduring symbol of our system of parliamentary government and is a beautiful example of the metalworker's art.

The following information on the Maces of Quebec was prepared by Mr. Gaston Deschênes of the Library of the National Assembly of Quebec.

Mr. Deschênes has clearly demonstrated that the Province of Quebec acquired two new Maces and a Black Rod from the Ottawa artisan Charles 0. Zollikoffer in time for its first legislative session on 27 December, 1867. These new parliamentary instruments were to replace those which the federal parliament had inherited from the United Province of Canada. The Mace of the Legislative Council and the Black Rod were destroyed in the fire of 1883 which destroyed the Quebec Parliament Buildings. This Mace was replaced later that year by another crafted by Cyrille Duquet. This Mace was in use until 1968 and is now located in the Museum of the National Assembly. The present Mace of the National Assembly appears to be the original 1867 Mace with some modifications. The previous article suggested that this Mace might have been presented by the Lord Mayor of London. However, recent research by Mr. Deschênes could find no evidence to support this (both Zollikoffer Maces were paid for by Quebec) but the Lord Mayor did present a snuff box which is to be found today in the Museum of the National Assembly.