Chapter 5

Canadian Symbols

The Crown, the flag, the maple leaf, the anthems, the honours and the national holidays.

The Canadian Crown

For 400 years the Crown has stood as a symbol of the state in Canada.
Since Confederation in 1867, in Queen Victoria’s reign, Canada has been a constitutional monarchy in its own right.
The Crown symbolises government as a whole: Parliament, the legislatures, the courts, police services and the Canadian Forces.

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The present Canadian flag first flew in 1965. Its red-white-red pattern comes from the flag of the Royal Military College in Kingston, founded in 1876.
Red and white had been the colours of France and England since the Middle Ages, and have been the national colours of Canada since 1921. The Union Jack is Canada’s official Royal Flag.
Before that, the Canadian Red Ensign had been the country’s flag for about 100 years.
The maple leaf is Canada’s best-known symbol. It was adopted by French-Canadians in the 1700s and has appeared on Canadian uniforms and insignia since the 1850s.
The fleur-de-lys is said to have been adopted by the French king in the year 496 and became the symbol of French royalty. Quebec adopted its own flag, based on the Cross and the fleur-de-lys, in 1948.
After the First World War Canada adopted an official coat of arms and the national motto A Mari Usque Ad Mare, which is Latin for “from sea to sea”.
The beaver was adopted centuries ago as a symbol of the Hudson’s Bay Company and became an emblem of the St. Jean Baptiste Society in 1834. It appears on the five-cent coin.

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The Parliament Buildings were completed in the 1860s.
Their towers, arches, sculptures and stained glass embody the French, English and Aboriginal traditions and the Gothic Revival architecture popular in the time of Queen Victoria.
An accidental fire destroyed the Centre Block in 1916; the rebuilt block dates from 1922, and the Library is all that survives of the original.
Completed in 1927, the Peace Tower commemorates the First World War. Inside it, the Memorial Chamber holds the Books of Remembrance, which record the names of those who died serving Canada.

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The two official languages, English and French, are important symbols of identity. Anglophones (English speakers) and Francophones (French speakers) have shared the country for more than 300 years.
Becoming a citizen requires adequate knowledge of English or French, except for adult applicants aged 55 years and over, who are exempt.
Parliament passed the Official Languages Act in 1969. Its objectives are to establish equality between French and English in Parliament and the Government of Canada, to maintain and develop official language minority communities, and to promote equality of French and English in Canadian society.

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O Canada became the National Anthem by proclamation in 1980; it was first sung in Québec City in 1880. The French and English versions have different words.
The Royal Anthem, “God Save the King (or Queen)”, can be played or sung on any occasion when Canadians wish to honour the Sovereign.

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Canada relied on British honours for many years, then began its own system in 1967, the centennial of Confederation, with the Order of Canada.
No honour available to Canadians ranks higher than the Victoria Cross (V.C.). It recognises the most conspicuous bravery, a daring act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the face of the enemy.
The Victoria Cross has been awarded to 96 Canadians since 1854.

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Hockey is Canada’s most popular spectator sport and is considered the national winter sport. Ice hockey was developed in Canada in the 1800s.
The National Hockey League plays for the Stanley Cup, donated by Lord Stanley, the Governor General, in 1892.
Lacrosse, first played by Aboriginal peoples, is the official summer sport. Canadian football is the second most popular sport, curling was introduced by Scottish pioneers, and soccer has the most registered players of any game in Canada.

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These are the national public holidays and other important dates listed in the guide.

Day	Date
New Year’s Day	January 1
Sir John A. Macdonald Day	January 11
Vimy Day	April 9
Victoria Day (Sovereign’s Birthday)	The Monday preceding May 25
Fête Nationale (Quebec)	June 24
Canada Day	July 1
Labour Day	The first Monday of September
Thanksgiving Day	The second Monday of October
Remembrance Day	November 11
Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day	November 20
Christmas Day	December 25
Boxing Day	December 26

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