Canadian symbols are the objects, events and people that carry special meaning and together express the national identity — the official test asks you to name some. These notes cover the Crown, the flag of 1965 and the maple leaf, the fleur-de-lys, the coat of arms and motto A Mari Usque Ad Mare, the Parliament Buildings, the national sports and official languages, the beaver, the two anthems, the honours system and the Victoria Cross, and the calendar of national holidays.
IdentityWhat Canadian symbols are
Objects, events and people that carry special meaning serve as Canada's many important symbols, and together they help explain what being Canadian means. Among the most recognizable are the Mace of the House of Commons, the 1965 Canadian flag, the Royal Arms, and the Snowbirds (431 Air Demonstration Squadron).
Citizenship test topic: The flag, maple leaf and fleur-de-lys
The CrownThe Canadian Crown and monarchy
For 400 years the Crown has symbolized the state in Canada, and since Confederation in 1867, in the reign of Queen Victoria, Canada has stood as a constitutional monarchy in its own right. The Crown stands for government as a whole — the Canadian Forces and police services, the courts, the legislatures and Parliament.
Queen Elizabeth II has been Queen of Canada since 1952. Her Golden Jubilee came in 2002, and in 2012 her Diamond Jubilee marked 60 years as Sovereign.
Remember this
- Crown a symbol of the state for 400 years.
- Constitutional monarchy in its own right since 1867 (Queen Victoria).
- Elizabeth II Queen of Canada since 1952; Golden Jubilee 2002, Diamond Jubilee 2012.
Flags & the maple leafThe flag, the maple leaf, and the fleur-de-lys
The first raising of a new Canadian flag came in 1965. Its red-white-red pattern is borrowed from the Royal Military College, Kingston (founded 1876). Since the Middle Ages red and white had been the colours of France and England; they have been Canada's national colours since 1921.
The Union Jack is Canada's official Royal Flag. Before 1965 the Canadian Red Ensign served as the flag for about 100 years, and veterans have carried it officially since 2005. The provinces and territories also have their own flags embodying their distinct traditions.
No symbol is better known than the maple leaf. French-Canadians took it up in the 1700s, it has marked Canadian uniforms and insignia from the 1850s onward, and it is carved into the headstones of fallen soldiers buried overseas and in Canada.
The lily flower, or fleur-de-lys, is said to have been the French king's choice in the year 496. For more than 1,000 years it stood as the symbol of French royalty, the colony of New France included. Confederation revived it, and it went into the Canadian Red Ensign; Quebec adopted a flag of its own in 1948, bearing the Cross and the fleur-de-lys.
French king said to adopt the fleur-de-lys.
French-Canadians take up the maple leaf.
Maple leaf on Canadian uniforms and insignia.
Royal Military College, Kingston founded — source of the red-white-red pattern.
Red and white become Canada’s national colours.
Quebec adopts its own flag (Cross and fleur-de-lys).
New Canadian flag raised for the first time.
Veterans begin carrying the Red Ensign officially.
Heraldry & architectureCoat of arms, motto, and Parliament
National pride after the First World War led Canada to adopt an official coat of arms together with a national motto. The motto, A Mari Usque Ad Mare, is Latin for 'from sea to sea.' Symbols of England, France, Scotland and Ireland appear in the arms, along with red maple leaves, and today the arms appear on currency, official documents and public buildings.
The Parliament Buildings, completed in the 1860s, embody French, English and Aboriginal traditions in the Gothic Revival style popular under Queen Victoria. An accidental fire destroyed the Centre Block in 1916; it was rebuilt by 1922, and only the Library survives from the original. The Peace Tower, finished in 1927 to commemorate the First World War, holds a Memorial Chamber with the Books of Remembrance naming those who died serving Canada.
Built in the French Second Empire style, the Quebec National Assembly stands apart from the other provincial legislatures, which are Baroque, Romanesque and neoclassical, echoing the Greco-Roman roots of Western civilization, where democracy began.
Remember this
- Motto A Mari Usque Ad Mare = “from sea to sea”; arms adopted after WWI.
- Parliament Buildings finished 1860s, Gothic Revival.
- Centre Block burned 1916, rebuilt 1922; only the Library is original.
- Peace Tower (1927) → Memorial Chamber → Books of Remembrance.
- Quebec National Assembly: French Second Empire style.
SportsPopular sports
Hockey draws more spectators than any other sport in Canada and is its national winter sport; ice hockey was developed here in the 1800s. In the National Hockey League teams play for the Stanley Cup, donated in 1892 by the Governor General, Lord Stanley. Women's hockey has the Clarkson Cup, created in 2005 by Adrienne Clarkson, 26th Governor General and the first with Asian roots.
Canadian football ranks second in popularity, curling an ice game brought by Scottish pioneers, and soccer the game with the most registered players in Canada. The official summer sport is lacrosse, an ancient game first played by Aboriginals.
Remember this
- Lacrosse = official summer sport.
- Hockey = national winter sport.
- Soccer has the most registered players.
- Stanley Cup donated 1892; Clarkson Cup (women's) 2005.
Symbol of industryThe beaver
Centuries ago the Hudson's Bay Company took the beaver as its symbol; in 1834 the St. Jean Baptiste Society, a patriotic French-Canadian association, adopted it as an emblem, among other groups. It appears on the five-cent coin, on the arms of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and on those of cities such as Toronto and Montreal.
Remember this
- Hudson’s Bay Company symbol centuries ago.
- St. Jean Baptiste Society emblem, 1834.
- Seen on the five-cent coin, the arms of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and of Montreal and Toronto.
LanguagesCanada's official languages
English and French are Canada's two official languages and important symbols of identity. English speakers are Anglophones, French speakers Francophones, and for more than 300 years the two communities have shared the country in partnership and creative tension. Adequate knowledge of English or French is required for citizenship, though adult applicants aged 55 or over are exempt from the language requirement.
The Official Languages Act became law in 1969. Its three objectives are to put French and English on an equal footing in Parliament, in the Government of Canada and in institutions the Act covers; to maintain and develop official language minority communities; and to promote equal standing for French and English across Canadian society.
Remember this
- Anglophones = English speakers; Francophones = French speakers; together 300+ years.
- Official Languages Act, 1969 — three objectives.
- Language requirement for citizenship; applicants 55+ exempt.
AnthemsThe national and royal anthems
O Canada was proclaimed the national anthem in 1980, having first been sung in Quebec City in 1880. Its English and French lyrics are different texts, not translations. Canada's Royal Anthem is 'God Save the Queen (or King)', which may be played or sung whenever Canadians wish to honour the Sovereign.
Remember this
- O Canada: first sung 1880 (Quebec City), proclaimed anthem 1980.
- English and French lyrics are different words, not translations.
- Royal Anthem: “God Save the Queen (or King)”, for honouring the Sovereign.
HonoursThe honours system and the Victoria Cross
Official awards go by the name honours — medals, decorations and orders. Canada used British honours for many years before beginning a system of its own with the Order of Canada in 1967, one hundred years after Confederation; citizens may nominate fellow citizens worthy of recognition.
The highest honour open to Canadians is the Victoria Cross (V.C.), given for the most conspicuous bravery — a daring act of valour, self-sacrifice, or exceptional devotion to duty while facing the enemy. 96 Canadians have received it since 1854.
Remember this
- Honours = orders, decorations and medals; British honours used until the Order of Canada (1967).
- Victoria Cross = highest honour; 96 Canadians since 1854.
- First: Dunn (1854); first black recipient: Hall; last to date: Gray (1945).
Alexander Roberts Dunn, born in present-day Toronto, the first Canadian awarded the V.C., for the Light Brigade's charge at Balaclava in the Crimean War.
William Hall of Horton, Nova Scotia, child of American slaves, the first black man awarded the V.C., for his part at Lucknow, besieged during the Indian Rebellion.
Filip Konowal, born in Ukraine, honoured for the Battle of Hill 70 — the first man in the Canadian Corps from outside the British Empire to receive the V.C.
Billy Bishop of Owen Sound, Ontario, won the V.C. as a flying ace with the Royal Flying Corps, and later held honorary rank as an RCAF Air Marshal.
Paul Triquet, from Cabano, Quebec, won the V.C. at Casa Berardi in Italy in WWII, later a Brigadier.
Robert Hampton Gray, navy pilot from Trail, B.C., killed in August while sinking a Japanese warship — the last Canadian V.C. recipient so far.
CalendarNational holidays and important dates
The year opens with New Year's Day (January 1) and Sir John A. Macdonald Day (January 11), followed by Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday) and Easter Monday (the Monday after). Vimy Day falls on April 9 and Victoria Day on the Monday preceding May 25, marking the Sovereign's birthday.
Summer brings Quebec's Fête nationale (June 24), the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and Canada Day (July 1). The fall holidays are Labour Day, the first Monday of September; Thanksgiving Day, the second Monday of October; and Remembrance Day (November 11), followed by Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day (November 20), with the year closing on Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26).
Remember this
- Sir John A. Macdonald Day — January 11; Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day — November 20.
- Vimy Day — April 9; Victoria Day — Monday before May 25 (Sovereign’s birthday).
- Fête nationale — June 24; Canada Day — July 1.
- Labour Day — first Monday of September; Thanksgiving — second Monday of October.
- Remembrance Day — November 11; Boxing Day — December 26.
Now put it to the test
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