http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/271165

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Time to herald our northern coast?  TheStar.com - Ideas - Time to herald our northern coast?

Advocates say new words on Canada’s coat of arms would help the cause of Arctic sovereignty

October 28, 2007

Andrew Chung

Staff reporter

 

Is it time to see the third sea?

 

Not just see it, in fact, but recognize it, etch it into our national imagination, with a spot on our national emblem, the coat of arms of Canada?

 

Currently, the intricate arms, with its imperial crown, lion, gold-horned unicorn and maple leaves, has as its motto "a mari usque ad mare" running along a wavy blue ribbon at the bottom of the shield.

 

Proclaimed by King George V in 1921, it means "from sea to sea," which instantly captures an essence of Canada, with its two anchoring coasts, the Atlantic and Pacific.

 

But over the last few years, politicians have been proclaiming in their statements and speeches a version of their own, one that includes a third "sea," the Arctic.

 

And there’s a movement to have our motto reflect this change.

 

"The symbolic nature of recognizing the Arctic in our motto is so important," says Dennis Bevington, NDP MP for the Western Arctic. "When the Russians planted their flag on the floor of the North Pole, the symbolic gesture was one that was received around the world. Many people felt they achieved a coup by doing that."

 

The movement is being driven by the fact that what was a frozen, impassable desert is now melting. The Arctic ice cap shrank more than ever in recorded history this past summer, including in Canada’s claimed Northwest Passage.

 

In the process, northern countries such as Russia, Denmark and Canada are ratcheting up their efforts to claim parts of the Arctic and its rich natural resources for themselves.

 

"There’s a strong desire for Canadians to express their sovereignty up there," Bevington says. "My feeling is that we are a Nordic country. Our imagery, our art, our printed word, our poetry – the Canadian heart is located firmly in the North."

 

Canada’s motto became an issue in Parliament last year as a number of strong northern voices, including the premiers of all three northern territories, began agitating for the change. Then-Liberal leader Bill Graham raised the issue in Parliament, and later Bevington tabled a private member’s motion calling for the addition of a third "sea."

 

The motion, however, is unlikely to get a hearing in Parliament since the random drawing for MPs to debate their private motions in the House of Commons put Bevington far down the list. Unless Prime Minister Stephen Harper takes up the cause, it might not come up for debate before his minority Conservative government falls.

 

According to Bevington, the government would not have to get the assent of Parliament to change it. A simple "order in council" is all that’s needed. In other words, if the government said, "We’re changing the motto," it would be done.

 

So far, the government says it’s "not currently considering modifying" the coat of arms, but that it’s aware there is interest in changing the motto.

 

The coat of arms may not seem front and centre in Canadians’ lives. In fact, it’s everywhere. It’s on passports, government buildings, the 50-cent coin and all 1.43 billion banknotes in circulation. You could say that makes our motto, according to figures from the Bank of Canada, worth $48 billion.

 

If the government made the change, it would require the direct approval of the Queen. Then it would fall to the Canadian Heraldic Authority, within the Governor General’s office, to redesign the arms. The effort itself would cost about $5,000.

 

The Department of Canadian Heritage says changes are incorporated into new deployments of the arms; old ones are not recalled.

 

The last time the arms changed was in 1994, when a second ribbon was added with the motto of the Order of Canada: "Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam" (they desire a better country).

 

While the Conservatives have placed Arctic sovereignty high on their political agenda, some experts say the change is necessary because it would better reflect reality. Arctic sovereignty expert Michael Byers points out that the Arctic coastline is by far our longest, and "it’s seeing much higher levels of activity," including 11 transits of the Northwest Passage in 2006.

 

A motto change would "send a signal internationally as to Canada’s commitment to its North, and to northern waters," Byers, who teaches international law at the University of British Columbia, says by email.

 

In the process, such a statement would pay tribute to the contribution of northerners to Canada’s sovereignty. Byers explains that through the 1993 Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, the Inuit specified that their use of the sea ice over the years supports Canada’s sovereignty claims.

 

Adding another "sea" to the motto could put those claims in writing.

Very concrete thinking - I expect that the proponent of this change does not realize that the origin of the motto comes from the Psalms and refers to the extent of His dominion - "Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae" - and even by Canadian standards Nunavut Territory would aready qualify as the ends of the earth! For those who like to read things literally the river would of course be the great St. Lawrence.

George Lucki;51015 wrote:

Very concrete thinking - I expect that the proponent of this change does not realize that the origin of the motto comes from the Psalms and refers to the extent of His dominion - "Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae" - and even by Canadian standards Nunavut Territory would aready qualify as the ends of the earth! For those who like to read things literally the river would of course be the great St. Lawrence.

Unfortunately, changing the motto to "a flumine usque ad terminos terrae" would upset the British Columbians, the whole passage is too long to fit on a scroll, and condensing to "a mari usque ad terminos terrae" will alienate those who don’t think Parliament should be editing Scripture.

Perhaps Canadian voters could help promote the aspiration expressed in the motto of the Order of Canada ("they desire a better country") by voting out of office any politician who wants to mess with the existing national motto, eh?

"Sea to the East and West, Melting Ice to the North, Yahoos to the South, and Desiring a Better Country in the Middle."

Doesn’t seem to inspire….

I thought Canada’s motto was "The 51st State"

You did, eh?

Cheers,

Canada…that’s somewhere sort of to the north of us…right?

How about "Up On The Ice Cap Click, Click, Click"  ??

Thanks for all of your suggestions. Maybe it is best to stick with the current motto.

Fifty-first state? With the greenback worth not quite a loonie. Not likely, eh?

Michael Swanson;51024 wrote:

"Sea to the East and West, Melting Ice to the North, Yahoos to the South, and Desiring a Better Country in the Middle."

Doesn’t seem to inspire….

With the sea to the East and West, they can export their goods.  With melting ice to the North, they can drill for oil to export.  With yahoos to the South, they have a place to export it to.  They would have that better country.

That seems inspiring to me.

Stephen R. Hickman;51052 wrote:

With the sea to the East and West, they can export their goods.  With melting ice to the North, they can drill for oil to export.  With yahoos to the South, they have a place to export it to.  They would have that better country.

That seems inspiring to me.

Do we really want Bush to know that Canada has oil?  :D

You mean he doen’t already?!  You’d think, as much as the CIA and the NSA costs per day, that he’d be told by now!  :rolleyes:

Stephen R. Hickman;51067 wrote:

You mean he doen’t already?!  You’d think, as much as the CIA and the NSA costs per day, that he’d be told by now!

As I am reminded every time I mark an exam, just because someone has been told something, doesn’t mean that they know it.

Michael Swanson;51054 wrote:

Do we really want Bush to know that Canada has oil?  :D

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Originally Posted by Stephen R. Hickman

With the sea to the East and West, they can export their goods. With melting ice to the North, they can drill for oil to export. With yahoos to the South, they have a place to export it to. They would have that better country.

That seems inspiring to me.

Sure. Let him know. The more of a sense of security of oil supply the US experiences the safer the rest of the world can sleep. But of course there are some resources like oil that are worth taking extraordinary care about exploiting. The high (read inefficient or irresponsible) levels of hydrocarbon consumption in the US, Canada and elsewhere are both driving the need for exploration in remote and fragile environments like the Arctic and also responsible for changing (read destroying) the climate and melting polar ice. Maybe that isn’t a path to a better country.

Still prefer the current motto.

George Lucki;51069 wrote:

Still prefer the current motto.

Red-letter day, folks!  I’m agreeing with George on matters heraldic!

George, Canada can really profit from the oil reserves, and even lead the way of doing so in a manner that is environmentally friendly.  Yes, we need to find another primary energy source, such as solar, but until we are weened from oil, there is no shame in profiting from it and from the exploration of viable alternatives.

I also agree with you concerning the current motto.

I think that we need to moderate ourselves on this thread, lest someone finds the need to do it for us.