The Canadian Motto is "A Mari usque ad Mare" ...
the English translation of this Latin motto means "From sea to sea"
... very appropriate for this huge land ...
 |
| Canada's Coat of Arms (c/o artwork by Karen E Bailey/ courtesy of Library and Archives Canada |
... but the Dominion of Canada wasn't born out of revolution
or a sweeping outburst of nationalism.
Rather, it was created in a series of conferences
and orderly negotiations, culminating in the terms of the Confederation on 1
July 1867.
The Union of the British North American colonies of New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada was the first step in a slow
but steady nation-building exercise ... eventually fulfilling the dream of a
country 'a mari usque ad mare'.
 |
| Lower Canada - c/o The Canadian Encyclopedia |
This term comes from the Bible's Psalm 72:8, which reads in
Latin: 'Et dominabitur a mari usque ad
mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae.'
The King James version puts it into English: "He shall have
dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the
earth."
 |
| Upper Canada - c/o The Canadian Encyclopedia |
However, "From Sea to Sea" did not geographically
apply to Canada until 1871, when British Columbia joined the Confederation, when
the Dominion did then extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The first official use of the motto came in 1906, when the
phrase was engraved on the head of the mace of the Legislative Assembly of the
new province of Saskatchewan.
 |
| Ocean Currents - map |
In 2006, the leaders of Canada's three northern territories
(Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut) marked the 100th anniversary of
Canada's motto by proposing a new one:
"From Sea to Sea to Sea"
 |
| Map of Canada from World Atlas |
... thus incorporating Canada's third oceanic border, the
Arctic Ocean ... colloquially the three seas are usually referred to, but the
official motto remains as "from sea to sea."
That is M for the Canadian Motto ... from Aspects by a
British 'girl' in Canada ...
This abbreviated post on Canada's motto and its origins was 'borrowed' from The Canadian Encyclopedia - Motto ... please check for further and fuller details at their site
Please note the images come courtesy of their site ... and the World Atlas (link above)
To revert back to 'L' ... please could you all tweet out #levidrome for Levi's word and to put a few dollars into the food banks ...
To revert back to 'L' ... please could you all tweet out #levidrome for Levi's word and to put a few dollars into the food banks ...
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
"[I]t was created in a series of conferences and orderly negotiations, culminating in the terms of the Confederation on 1 July 1867." <--There's just something so Canadian about that description. I do mean that in a good way.
ReplyDelete"From Sea to Sea" sounds like a memorable book or movie. An interesting bit of (civil) history. Gosh, so proper - and nice. It's refreshing!
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary. Isn't it nice when you read of a country that was created without a war! Love learning more about Canada. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteDenise x
Like everyone else I love hearing about a county which came into being in an orderly and peaceful way. Hooray for Canada and orderly negotiations.
ReplyDeleteThanks Hilary, I am thoroughly enjoying learning more about your current home of adoption.
I too wrote a post in 2017 on the history of Canada's Confederation and received FAR more readers than any of my posts normally attract. I therefore have to assume that, as your other comments noted, people love hearing about a country than confederated peacefully.
ReplyDeleteYour maps add extra information, so thanks for the link
Hels
https://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/lets-celebrate-canadas-150-years-since.html
A fascinating place! This is something I hadn’t known about. I’m guessing that you, too, are learning about your new country of residence!
ReplyDeleteM Is For Elyne Mitchell, Sophie Masson and Geoffrey McSkimming
https://suebursztynski.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/a-to-z-blogging-challenge-m-is-for.html
Very interesting to learn some more Canadian history. Thanks for being such a wonderful teacher and blogger!
ReplyDeleteWhy can't all political leaders sort things out with conferences and orderly negotiations?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOf course, we go from sea to sea too! But the seas are just ever so slightly closer to each other 😉
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary. Another wonderful interesting post. It is startling to think about how big Canada must be to stretch between 3 oceans! Hope your weekend is enjoyable, I know it will be interesting!
ReplyDeleteInteresting history and I love that coat of arms. Take care Diane
ReplyDeleteIt sounds so civilized to be born from negotiations and conferences. What a rarity. Thanks for the history lesson, Hilary.
ReplyDeleteEmily In Ecuador | Mototaxis - Second Most Popular Way to Get Around Puerto Lopez, Ecuador
I am learning things I didn't know that I didn't know! Another fascinating instalment Hilary.
ReplyDeleteA-Z of My Friend Rosey!
I love this. In my mind it's yet another demonstration that Canadians are the epitome of politeness. How many other nations do things with conferences and orderly negotiations.
ReplyDeleteThat was interesting. I didn't even know how Canada was formed. I suppose I thought it was like--revolt against Britain. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteI like that motto, simple and clear. What is it about mottos and being in Latin, though. Our school motto was, and so is our clan motto, which really ought to be some kind of Scots dialect if it had really been old.
ReplyDeleteSophie
Sophie's A to Z - Ghostly Inspirations
Canada has continued as it began, a land of orderly negotiations. We could certainly learn from this wonderful country.
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend, Hilary.
@ Liz - Canada ... is a gentle land isn't it ...
ReplyDelete@ Diedre - could so easily become the title of something, couldn't it ... yes it is refreshing being here ...
@ Denise - well there were wars earlier ... as the Americas tried to sort themselves out - but that's what happened ...
@ EC - isn't it interesting how simple (relatively) Canada has come into being ... so glad you're enjoying the Canadian posts ...
@ Hels - thanks so much for your link across to your post - I'll be over to read it during the weekend - and yes I'm glad I put the maps in ...
@ Sue - I am doing exactly that - learning as I go ... finding things that interest me and writing them up ...
@ Marcy - great to see you and I'll be over ... delighted to set things out 'in my relative' way of thinking! i.e. simply ...
@ Patsy - oh I know ... why can't we value life ...
@ Anabel - yes we do go from sea to sea too - just the seas are slightly further apart here - a mere 5,500+ miles between them (E-W) ...
@ Kim - many thanks ... yes it is a large (humungous) country - some of the land masses in the world are huge aren't they ...
@ Diane - I was pleased to find the stained glass window with the coat of arms ... I love stained glass ...
@ Emily - they are civilised here - and I must add a few snippets to the country getting together ... glad you're enjoying my take on Canada ...
@ Keith - thanks ... I think that's the way blogging should be sometimes ... just fun to find out about ...
@ Deborah - in this day and age (and now) ... I don't know - but I hope the wrangles everywhere can be resolved more easily and gently in the future ...
@ Jacqui - I had no idea either ... and suspect I haven't got it right! - but near enough ... the Brits and France were involved earlier on too ... dividing north and south ...
@ Sophie - I guess Latin was the standard set early on and was the language of administration - and has stuck ... it is still the legal language ... and offers gravity in its succinctness ...
@ Sandra - you're right a land of orderly negotiations and so many could learn from being here ...
Cheers to you all - thanks for coming by ... I'll be seeing you across at your blogs soon - enjoy the halfway point and weekend - Hilary
We love our Canadian neighbors and spent many a summer vacation camping throughout from sea to sea...:)
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was golly how polite and civilised! Lovely part of your adopted home's history, thank you so much Hilary. I imagine this is hugely enriching for you to learn more of Canada - it is for us, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying your history and geography lessons, Hilary. Having been born in the US and living here all my life, I tend to think in terms of US and Canada as far as size and borders on the water. Hard to imagine landlocked countries when I know all I have to do is drive east or west and I'll eventually hit an ocean while still remaining in my own country.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd ever seen the Canadian coat of arms before - I'm rather charmed by the lion holding the maple leaf! Thank you for that, Hilary!
ReplyDeleteI think they should add the additional "to sea." as you suggested. They are surrounded by a lot of water!
ReplyDeleteI like the 3 oceans best, I had never thought of it that way.
ReplyDeleteI am always intrigued by coats of arms and enjoyed seeing the Canadian one. I learned a lot about the motto too. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
The Latin version sounds lovely! Gravitas combines with melodic...Didn't know this bit about Canadian history. Very level-headed and amicable, fits in well with their general image.
ReplyDeleteFrom sea to sea - I like that. And imagine no violence or wars to acquire the land - just negotiations. Peaceful.....
ReplyDeleteAmazing what you are learning about Canada Hilary. It has a lot of history for such a young country. I was talking to a friend in Mexico who couldn't believe I had never been to BC and seen all the lovely scenery there. She didn't realise just how far it was from here.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to have a niehbor to the north that was not born from revolution, but rather from an orderly process. I have never had a bad visit to Canada. It's so hard to believe it's been eight years since I've been there last. The Unknown Journey Ahead agingonthespectrum.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteHi, Hilary,
ReplyDeleteGreat motto.... Enjoying the history of Canada. It truly is a lovely country and I am hoping to visit there some time this summer....
Thanks for another charming and informative post!
I'm ashamed to say I kew more about America than about Canada's origin. Great motto with which I'm sure everyone can identify themselves.
ReplyDeleteWe are so different from the United States - and thank goodness for that.
ReplyDeleteFrom sea to sea, now I see so much more. It sounds like you are embracing Canada's history.
ReplyDeleteIt is so interesting to read the comments and to see that people think that Canada was born peacefully. Nope! Like all land, people fought like crazy for it.
ReplyDeleteGreat little read.
Have a fantastic week,
Andrea
This is an amazing read
ReplyDeleteTongue Twister for N
Tongue Twister for M
Tongue Twister for L
It sounds very peaceful. Love looking at the Canadian map - I enlarged and had a long look at it.
ReplyDeleteI learn something new about Canada every day. Thanks for sharing :-)
ReplyDelete@ Troutbirder - so good to hear ... it's certainly a lovely place with lovely people ...
ReplyDelete@ Susan - there were wars before 'the country' evolved - and a few skirmishes, mostly verbal since ... but it seems to have had a relatively comfortable existence ... it's been interesting to explore and write up snippets ...
@ Lynda - thanks so much - I too am enjoying my take on Canada - it gets a little less normal with my 'eclectic' range of posts ... there's certainly lots to offer countrywise in these two huge countries bounded by (nearly) one boundary ...
@ Jz - I saw the window and thought that's a delightful image to add to the post ... glad I did!
@ Sherry - one day perhaps they'll add the third ocean in ... but there sure is a lot of water up here ...
@ Steve - I'd never thought of the 3rd ocean - obvious really ... but glad I could write up about it ...
@ Jess - that's great ... good to see you; I too love heraldry and keep trying to understand it ... so am always happy to post things ... and the motto - thought that was interesting ...
@ Nila - the Latin one does ring true doesn't it - I enjoy seeing Latin used around the place - in legal phrases, attached to plants etc ... Latin does add to the importance and dignity of the situation being addressed or read about ... good word is Gravitas ...
@ Sandie - there were wars ... but nothing major for 200+ years ... and that was such a sensible way to 'grow a nation' ...
@ Jo - I'm selecting various bits about Canada - which I hope add interest and aren't 'too dull' ... it does have quite a lot of history which goes back a long way in different time scales. I know it's a huge country to travel around ...
@ Bookworm - thank you for coming over - and yes perhaps sometime in the future you'll be able to get back for a peaceful visit - you've a lot going on. There were wars ... but recent centuries it's been peaceful ...
@ Michael - that'll be great if you can get up for a visit ... as you say it's a lovely place ... I'm enjoying it ...
@ Bob - well your son is in the States - so that's understandable and we hear a lot more about it; as you say it's a good motto - that should easily resonate with people ...
@ David - yes thank goodness for the differences from the neighbour due south - we are lucky ...
@ Truedessa - I'm trying to find things that interest me and thus are a bit different that will interest bloggers and A-Zers ... so am learning!
@ Andrea - I know ... I was only referring to the latter history when Canada rolled itself into one country - I probably should have added there were wars going on before that - but life gets complicated ... ie the post is too long ...
@ DeeDee - good to see you ...
@ Lynn - that's great you enjoyed the map - it makes more sense if one has some reference point ... and for a while has been peaceful - long may it last ...
@ Ronel - many thanks ... good to see you
Cheers to you all - thanks for your visits - Hilary