Chapter 8

Canadian Symbols

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

The Canadian Crown

The Crown has been a symbol of the state in Canada for 400 years.
Canada has been a constitutional monarchy in its own right since Confederation in 1867, during Queen Victoria's reign.
Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of Canada in 1952; she marked her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Diamond Jubilee in 2012. King Charles III is now the Sovereign.
The Crown is a symbol of government, including Parliament, the legislatures, the courts, police services and the Canadian Forces.

The national flag, red-white-red with a maple leaf, was first raised in 1965.
Its red-white-red pattern comes from the flag of the Royal Military College in Kingston, founded in 1876.
Red and white were colours of France and England from the Middle Ages, and have been Canada's national colours since 1921.
The Union Jack is Canada's official Royal Flag.
The Canadian Red Ensign was Canada's flag for about 100 years. Veterans have carried it officially since 2005.
Each province and territory has its own flag.

The maple leaf is Canada's best-known symbol. French-Canadians adopted it in the 1700s, and it has been on Canadian uniforms and badges since the 1850s. It is carved on the gravestones of Canadian soldiers.
The fleur-de-lys (lily flower) was, according to legend, adopted by the French king in 496. It was a symbol of French royalty for over a thousand years, including in New France.
Quebec adopted its own flag in 1948, based on a cross and the fleur-de-lys.

Canada adopted an official coat of arms and motto after the First World War.
The motto is A mari usque ad mare, Latin for 'from sea to sea'.
The arms include symbols of England, France, Scotland and Ireland, and red maple leaves. They appear on money, government documents and public buildings.

The Parliament Buildings in Ottawa combine French, English and Aboriginal traditions in the Gothic Revival style. They were completed in the 1860s.
The Centre Block was destroyed by an accidental fire in 1916 and rebuilt in 1922. The Library is the only part of the original building still standing.
The Peace Tower, finished in 1927, honours those who served in the First World War. Its Memorial Chamber holds the Books of Remembrance, with the names of those who died serving Canada.
The Quebec National Assembly is built in the French Second Empire style.

Hockey is Canada's most popular spectator sport and its national winter sport. Ice hockey was developed in Canada in the 1800s.
National Hockey League teams compete for the Stanley Cup, donated in 1892 by Lord Stanley, then Governor General.
The Clarkson Cup for women's hockey was created in 2005 by Adrienne Clarkson, the 26th Governor General and the first of Asian origin.
Canadian football is the second most popular sport.
Curling, a game played on ice, was brought to Canada by Scottish pioneers.
Lacrosse, an ancient sport first played by Aboriginal peoples, is Canada's official summer sport.
Soccer has the most registered players of any sport in Canada.

The beaver was adopted as a symbol by the Hudson's Bay Company centuries ago, and by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society (a French-Canadian group) in 1834.
It appears on the five-cent coin, on the coats of arms of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and of cities such as Montreal and Toronto.

English and French are Canada's official languages and important symbols of identity. Anglophones and Francophones have lived together for more than 300 years.
Citizenship applicants need adequate knowledge of English or French. Applicants aged 55 and over are exempt.
The Official Languages Act was passed in 1969. Its goals: equality of English and French in Parliament and the federal government; supporting official language minority communities; and promoting both languages in Canadian society.

O Canada was proclaimed the national anthem in 1980. It was first sung in Quebec City in 1880. The English and French versions have different words.
The royal anthem is 'God Save the King' (or Queen). It can be played or sung to honour the Sovereign.

Canada honours outstanding citizens for their achievement and service. It created its own honours system with the Order of Canada in 1967, the 100th anniversary of Confederation. Citizens can nominate other citizens.
The Victoria Cross is Canada's highest honour, for the most outstanding bravery in the face of the enemy. 96 Canadians have received it since 1854.
Alexander Roberts Dunn was the first Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross (Crimean War, 1854).
William Hall of Nova Scotia was the first Black person to receive it (1857).
Filip Konowal, born in Ukraine, received it for bravery at Hill 70 in 1917.
Billy Bishop, a flying ace from Owen Sound, Ontario, received it in the First World War.
Paul Triquet of Quebec received it in 1943 in Italy.
Robert Hampton Gray, a navy pilot from Trail, B.C., was killed in 1945 and is the last Canadian to receive it so far.

New Year's Day: January 1. Sir John A. Macdonald Day: January 11.
Good Friday: the Friday before Easter Sunday. Easter Monday: the Monday after Easter Sunday.
Vimy Day: April 9.
Victoria Day: the Monday before May 25 (the Sovereign's birthday).
Fête nationale (Quebec): June 24, the Feast of Saint John the Baptist.
Canada Day: July 1.
Labour Day: the first Monday of September.
Thanksgiving: the second Monday of October.
Remembrance Day: November 11.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier Day: November 20.
Christmas Day: December 25. Boxing Day: December 26.

Checked against the official study guide: Discover Canada: Canadian symbols. Summarized in our own words.