Coat of arms of Canada

A long time ago, when people used to fight with each other over land and power, they would wear special clothes and symbols to show which group or family they were from, just like wearing a sports team jersey or a badge today. These symbols were often drawn on shields, which were used to protect the person from getting hurt in battle.

Canada also had many groups of people who lived on the land before it became a country, and when different groups of people from Europe settled there, they wanted to show their pride and loyalty to the place where they lived by creating their own symbols. One of these groups was the French, who created a symbol called a fleur-de-lis, which means “flower of the lily” and looks like a pretty flower with three leaves.

As more and more people came to Canada, they wanted to have a symbol that represented the whole country, not just one group of people. So, in 1921, the government of Canada created a coat of arms that would have symbols representing different parts of the country.

The coat of arms has four main parts. The top part, or the “crest,” shows a lion holding a red maple leaf. The lion is a symbol of England, one of the countries that helped start Canada. And the maple leaf is a symbol of Canada, since it is a very special tree that grows all over the country and is the national symbol.

The second part of the coat of arms is called the “helm,” which is like a fancy hat that people would wear in medieval times, and it has a beaver on top. The beaver is an animal that is very important to Canada's history, because it was a major source of fur for trade and led to the development of many towns and cities in Canada.

The third part of the coat of arms is the “shield,” which is like a big, flat shield that people would use in battle. The shield is divided into four parts, each with a different symbol. The top left part has three golden lions on a red background, which is the symbol of England. The top right part has a red lion on a gold background, which is the symbol of Scotland. The bottom left part has a red harp on a silver background, which is the symbol of Ireland. And the bottom right part has three green maple leaves on a white background, which is the symbol of Canada.

The last part of the coat of arms is the “motto,” which is a saying that represents what the country stands for. Canada's motto is “A Mari Usque Ad Mare,” which means “From sea to sea” in Latin. This means that Canada stretches all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

In summary, the coat of arms of Canada is a special symbol that uses different pictures and symbols to represent the history and different parts of the country. It is like a special badge that shows that people are proud to be from Canada and represents their loyalty to the country.