Canadian Motto: A Mari Usque Ad Mare

The Canadian motto is "a mari usque ad mare" which directly translates to "from sea to sea". This motto first came to be during the Confederation and was used as an aspiration statement. Then they encompassed enough land to make this into a reality. The first recorded usage of the motto was by George Monro Grant, who was a minister that commonly used it in his sermons. More recently in 2007, it was proposed that they officially change the motto to "a mari usque ad mare ad mare" or another variation to "a mari usque ad maria". The change proposal was due to their three borders: Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic oceans. Though it wasn't passed as official, most Canadians do refer to "from sea to sea to sea" which is the translation of "a mari usque ad mare ad mare". In my opinion, the motto clearly reflects Canada on a geographic standpoint and is appropriate for Canada as a whole. All in all, the motto has a good historical meaning behind it while being short and simple.



Sources:

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/a-mari-usque-ad-mare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mari_Usque_Ad_Mare

- Jaclyn Miles