in the
House of Lords Library, June 1918 The usher carries an
ebony and gold
staff of office modelled on that used in the House of Lords. Canada's original rod is believed to have been made in the 1840s in
Montreal for the
Legislative Assembly of the
Province of Canada, and then transferred to the Senate after
Confederation in 1867. Still, it was lost in the 1916 fire that destroyed
Centre Block. The current rod was crafted the same year by then-
Crown Jeweller Garrard & Co. The rod was snapped in half in 1967, and underwent only amateur repairs at the hands of Senator
Henry Davies Hicks in his personal workshop; over the years it has additionally suffered scratching, cracking, and loss of pieces. Accordingly, on the occasion of the
150th anniversary of Canada in 2016, the Queen bestowed a restoration by artisans and craftspeople at
Windsor Castle under the direction of Adrian Smith,
L.V.O., which replaced the central ebony rod itself with a 20th-century ebony walking cane. The top consists of a lion on its hind legs displaying a shield decorated with the royal cypher of
George V of the United Kingdom, the monarch when the rod was crafted, and bearing the motto . Its middle knob is made of silver with
maple leaf engravings (in contrast to the oak leaves used in its UK counterpart, which is made of gold). It is engraved with the name of Queen Elizabeth II, inscribed during its restoration. The base is set with a 1904
gold sovereign, displaying
St. George slaying the Dragon. == Trappings of office ==