Fact Sheet on the Augmented Arms of Canada

• The Arms of Canada were assigned to Canada by His Majesty King George V in a royal proclamation of November 21, 1921, at the request of the Canadian Government.

• There has been no change to Canada's motto as it has appeared on the Arms since 1921. It has been and remains, "A MARI USQUE AD MARE".

• However, in 1987, Her Majesty The Queen approved an augmentation to the Arms of Canada consisting of a ribbon bearing the motto of the Order of Canada "Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam" (They desire a better country), for use by the Office of the Governor General on Canadian Patent of Arms.

• The Order of Canada was established in 1967, and is the senior Canadian Order in the Canadian system of honours and awards. The Queen is the Sovereign of the Order of Canada.

• On July 12, 1994, Her Majesty The Queen approved that the augmented Arms be used for general governmental purposes.

• In heraldic terms, an augmentation is a special honour accorded by the Sovereign. No change is made to the original proclamation of 1921; the Arms of Canada are, therefore, not new Arms.

• The Arms of Canada are mostly used on official proclamations of the Government of Canada, on public buildings, passports, coins, military badges, on letterheads for the Prime Minister of Canada, Parliament, Members of the Ministry, Senators and Members of the House of Commons, the Supreme Court and other federal courts, Canadian Ambassadors and High Commissioners abroad, as well as some federal departments and agencies.

• The new design of the augmented Arms will be implemented as stocks have to be replenished; existing representations of the Arms on buildings or establishments will not be affected; there is no costs associated with the change in the design of the Arms.

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