Canada adopted its official coat of arms and national motto as an expression of national pride after:

Canada adopted its official coat of arms and national motto after the First World War. Discover Canada states: "World War, Canada adopted an official coat of arms and a national motto, A mari usque ad" mare — meaning "From Sea to Sea."

The First World War transformed Canada's place in the world. Discover Canada notes that "After the First World War, the British Empire" evolved, and Canada's growing independence and identity were marked by adopting these new national symbols.

Other First World War commemorations include the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, completed in 1927 in memory of the war, and the Books of Remembrance housed within it.

The choice of timing — after the First World War — links Canada's coat of arms and motto to the country's emerging international identity. The war effort gave Canada a stronger sense of nationhood, and the coat of arms made that visible in heraldry.

The motto A Mari Usque Ad Mare (Latin: "From Sea to Sea") reflects Canada's geographic span from Atlantic to Pacific.