The Story of Our Crest
In 1982, the undergraduate Survey Society sponsored a competition for the design of a new crest. As well as providing a more contemporary image, the design was to be simple enough that a small version could be cast in pewter as a lapel pin. The winning design was "enhanced" by a local graphics artist, and the result is now used by the Department on its technical reports, lecture notes, and an assortment of other publications, such as presentation notices. The lapel pins were made by Aitkens Pewter of Fredericton and have been presented to graduates in B.Sc.E.(Surveying), alumnae, and alumni from 1982 onward.
The crest is a unique blend of simplicity and symbolism. The overall shape is that of a circle - fundamental to many aspects of surveying and mapping. Starting at the centre, there is an image of the crosshairs of a telescope against the ellipsoidal earth, centred at zero latitude and longitude. About the earth are two ellipses, representing satellite orbits - the most modern of surveying techniques. All of this is surrounded by a ring containing the cardinal points of the compass - a major element of navigation and the origin of the use of bearings to describe the direction of a line. The outermost section of the crest is a ring enclosing the name of the department. Its circular shape is a reminder of the involvement of the circle in much of surveying and also is a stylized reference to the iron ring, itself a symbol of the obligation felt by a professional engineer.
