A Mari Usque Ad Mare
Encyclopedia
A Mari Usque Ad Mare is the Canadian national motto
. The phrase comes from the Latin
Psalm 72:8 in the Holy Bible, which reads "Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae" (King James Bible: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth").
, who was Sanford Fleming's secretary and a Presbyterian minister who used the phrase in his sermons. His great-grandson Michael Ignatieff
suggests that Grant used the phrase in a nation-building effort during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
. The use of the word "dominion" in the verse reflected the adoption of the name "Dominion of Canada" for the new country.
The motto was first officially used in 1906 on the head of the mace of the new Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
. This phrase was suggested for a national motto by Joseph Pope
, then-Under Secretary of State, when the Canadian coat of arms was redesigned in 1921. Pope was a member of the four-person committee appointed by the federal government to redesign the coat of arms (the other members were Thomas Mulvey, A.G. Doughty and Major-General W.G. Gwatkin). No motto had been included in the original design. Major-General W.G. Gwatkin proposed "In memoriam in spem" ("In memory, in hope") as a motto, but Pope's proposal garnered more support. The draft design was approved by Order in Council on April 21, 1921 and by the Royal Proclamation of King George V
on November 21, 1921.
s. On its own, it appears on all federal government proclamations.
, Atlantic
, and Pacific Ocean
s. Two suggestions for a new motto are A mari ad mare ad mare (from sea to sea to sea) and A mari usque ad maria (from the sea to the other seas). The expanded informal version of the motto ("From Sea to Sea to Sea") is used in speeches and writings about Canada, representing inclusiveness toward northern residents and the growing significance of the Arctic in Canada's political and economic future. A Canwest Global-commissioned poll showed proponents of amending the motto outnumbering opponents in the ratio of three to one, with one-third of those polled neutral.
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
. The phrase comes from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Psalm 72:8 in the Holy Bible, which reads "Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae" (King James Bible: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth").
History
The first recorded use of the phrase to represent Canada was by George Monro GrantGeorge Monro Grant
George Monro Grant, C.M.G. was a Canadian church minister, writer, and political activist. He served as principal of Queen's College, Kingston, Ontario for 25 years, from 1877 until 1902.-Early life, education:...
, who was Sanford Fleming's secretary and a Presbyterian minister who used the phrase in his sermons. His great-grandson Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
suggests that Grant used the phrase in a nation-building effort during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. The use of the word "dominion" in the verse reflected the adoption of the name "Dominion of Canada" for the new country.
The motto was first officially used in 1906 on the head of the mace of the new Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:...
. This phrase was suggested for a national motto by Joseph Pope
Joseph Pope
Sir Joseph Pope, KCMG CVO ISO was a Canadian public servant. He was Private Secretary to Sir John A. Macdonald from 1882 to 1891 and Assistant Clerk to the Privy Council & Under Secretary of State for Canada from 1896 to 1926.He married Marie-Louise-Joséphine-Henriette Taschereau in...
, then-Under Secretary of State, when the Canadian coat of arms was redesigned in 1921. Pope was a member of the four-person committee appointed by the federal government to redesign the coat of arms (the other members were Thomas Mulvey, A.G. Doughty and Major-General W.G. Gwatkin). No motto had been included in the original design. Major-General W.G. Gwatkin proposed "In memoriam in spem" ("In memory, in hope") as a motto, but Pope's proposal garnered more support. The draft design was approved by Order in Council on April 21, 1921 and by the Royal Proclamation of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
on November 21, 1921.
Use
As part of the Canadian coat of arms, the motto is used as a mark of authority by various government agencies and representatives. It is also present on all denominations of Canadian paper currency, and on the cover of Canadian passportCanadian passport
A Canadian passport is a passport issued to citizens of Canada for the purpose of international travel; allowing the bearer to travel in foreign countries in accordance with visa requirements; facilitating the process of securing assistance from Canadian consular officials abroad, if necessary; and...
s. On its own, it appears on all federal government proclamations.
Possible amendment
In March 2006, the premiers of Canada's three territories called for the amendment of the motto to reflect the vast geographic nature of Canada's territory, as Canada has coastlines on the ArcticArctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
, Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, and Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
s. Two suggestions for a new motto are A mari ad mare ad mare (from sea to sea to sea) and A mari usque ad maria (from the sea to the other seas). The expanded informal version of the motto ("From Sea to Sea to Sea") is used in speeches and writings about Canada, representing inclusiveness toward northern residents and the growing significance of the Arctic in Canada's political and economic future. A Canwest Global-commissioned poll showed proponents of amending the motto outnumbering opponents in the ratio of three to one, with one-third of those polled neutral.