What is Canada's national motto?

Discover Canada records this in one direct sentence. The guide writes: As an expression of national pride after the First World War, Canada adopted an official coat of arms and a national motto, A mari usque ad mare, which in Latin means "from sea to sea". The motto the test wants is therefore A mari usque ad mare — "From sea to sea".

The Latin phrase reflects Canada's geography. Discover Canada notes elsewhere that "three oceans line Canada's frontiers: the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the north." The motto A mari usque ad mare — literally "from sea to sea" — captures that Atlantic-to-Pacific span. It is one of the country's most recognisable Latin phrases, used on official emblems, dollar bills, and government documents.

The motto came with the coat of arms after the First World War. Discover Canada writes that this was "an expression of national pride after the First World War" — meaning Canada formally adopted both the coat of arms and the motto in the post-war period (around 1921). The First World War had given Canada a new sense of national identity, and the official coat of arms and motto were among the visible symbols of that emerging nationhood.

The coat of arms carries multiple symbols. Discover Canada writes that "the arms contain symbols of England, France, Scotland and Ireland as well as red maple leaves." So the motto and arms together unite Canada's geographic span (sea to sea) with its founding ethnic and political roots (England, France, Scotland, Ireland). "Today the arms can be seen on dollar bills, government documents and public buildings."

The question is testing whether new citizens know Canada's national motto. Discover Canada commits to one phrase: A mari usque ad mare — Latin for "from sea to sea." The right test answer matches that.

The wrong answer choices each pick a phrase from a different country or a different Canadian principle. "E pluribus unum" is the U.S. motto, not Canada's. the third option is also a U.S. motto. "Peace, order, and good government" is a Canadian constitutional principle from the British North America Act, but it is not the country's national motto.