Symbol questions are some of the easiest marks on the citizenship test, because the answers are short: a year, a meaning or a name. This page puts every symbol from the official study guide Discover Canada in one table. After the table, you will see the usual ways the test asks about symbols and the facts that people mix up most often. For a longer explanation of each symbol, read our Canadian Symbols primer.
All the symbols in one table
| Symbol | What it is | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| The Crown | The symbol of the Canadian state as a whole: Parliament, the provincial legislatures, the courts, police services and the Armed Forces. Canada became a constitutional monarchy in its own right at Confederation in 1867, under Queen Victoria. | The Sovereign is King Charles III. See the Crown explained. |
| National flag | The red-and-white maple leaf flag. Its red-white-red pattern comes from the flag of the Royal Military College in Kingston (founded 1876). | First raised in 1965. Red and white were proclaimed the national colours by King George V in 1921. |
| Other official flags | The Canadian Red Ensign served as Canada’s flag for about 100 years before 1965. The Royal Union Flag (Union Jack) is still an official flag in Canada. | Red Ensign = the old flag. Union Jack = still official. |
| Maple leaf | Canada’s best-known symbol. French Canadians adopted it in the 1700s. It has been on uniforms and insignia since the 1850s and is carved on the headstones of fallen soldiers. | Much older than the 1965 flag. |
| Fleur-de-lys | A lily design that was a symbol of French royalty for more than 1,000 years, including in New France. | Quebec’s flag (1948) is based on a cross and fleurs-de-lys. |
| Coat of Arms | Adopted after the First World War. It joins the symbols of England, France, Scotland and Ireland with red maple leaves. It appears on money, government documents and public buildings. | Adopted after the First World War, together with the motto. |
| Motto: A mari usque ad mare | Latin for “from sea to sea”. It describes a country that reaches from one ocean to another. | It means “from sea to sea”. |
| Parliament Buildings | In Ottawa, built in the 1860s in the Gothic Revival style. Fire destroyed the Centre Block in 1916; only the Library of Parliament survived. The Centre Block was rebuilt by 1922. | Gothic Revival; fire in 1916. |
| Peace Tower | The tower on Parliament Hill, built in memory of the First World War. Its Memorial Chamber holds the Books of Remembrance, with the names of Canadians who died in service. | Completed in 1927. |
| National sports | Hockey is the national winter sport and the most popular sport to watch. Lacrosse, first played by Aboriginal peoples, is the national summer sport. | Hockey = winter, lacrosse = summer. |
| The beaver | Taken up centuries ago as the symbol of the Hudson’s Bay Company, from the fur trade. It is also on the coats of arms of Saskatchewan and Alberta and of Montreal and Toronto. | On the five-cent coin. |
| Official languages | English and French are Canada’s two official languages. The federal government must offer its services in both. | Official Languages Act, 1969. New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province. |
| O Canada | The national anthem, with official words in English and in French. First sung in Quebec City in 1880. | Proclaimed in 1980. Since 2018 the English words say “True patriot love in all of us command”. |
| God Save the King | The royal anthem, played or sung to honour the Sovereign. | Royal anthem, not the national anthem. |
| Order of Canada | Canada’s own honours system began with the Order of Canada, created for the 100th birthday of Confederation. It honours outstanding achievement and service. Before it, Canadians received British honours. | Created in 1967. |
| Victoria Cross (VC) | The highest honour available to Canadians, for outstanding bravery in the presence of the enemy. Alexander Roberts Dunn was the first Canadian to receive it (1854) and William Hall of Nova Scotia the first Black recipient (1857). | VC = bravery facing the enemy. |
| Red poppy | Worn around Remembrance Day. It recalls the battlefields of the First World War and the poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae. | Remembrance Day is November 11; a moment of silence is held at 11 a.m. |
| National holidays | Days Canadians mark together, such as Canada Day, Victoria Day and Remembrance Day. | Canada Day is July 1. Full list: key dates. |
National holidays: the short version
Our key dates guide lists every holiday with its date, so we do not repeat the whole list here. The holiday questions people miss most are these: Canada Day (July 1) marks Confederation in 1867; Victoria Day (the Monday before May 25) celebrates the Sovereign’s birthday; and two June days sit close together, June 21 for National Indigenous Peoples Day and June 24 for Quebec’s Fête nationale.
How symbols appear in test questions
Questions about symbols usually follow a few simple patterns. If you know the pattern, you know what to look for in the answer choices. The examples below are our own practice-style questions.
- “In what year…?” Learn the symbol years as a set: 1921 (national colours), 1927 (Peace Tower), 1948 (Quebec flag), 1965 (maple leaf flag), 1967 (Order of Canada), 1969 (Official Languages Act), 1980 (O Canada proclaimed).
- “What does … mean?” For example, the motto (“from sea to sea”), the Crown (the Canadian state as a whole) or the poppy (remembering those who served and died).
- “Which is…?” The national winter sport, the animal on the five-cent coin, the highest honour for bravery, the royal anthem.
- “Who…?” Who proclaimed the national colours (King George V), who first used the maple leaf as a symbol (French Canadians), who first played lacrosse (Aboriginal peoples), who donated the Stanley Cup (Lord Stanley, a Governor General, in 1892).
- True or false with one fact changed. “Lacrosse is Canada’s national winter sport” is false. “The Union Jack is still an official flag in Canada” is true. Read every word: one swapped season, year or name makes the statement false.
Common mix-ups
- 1965 vs 1967 vs 1980. Flag, then Order of Canada, then O Canada as the national anthem. 1880 is when O Canada was first sung.
- 1921 vs 1965. 1921 is the national colours, red and white. 1965 is the flag.
- National anthem vs royal anthem. O Canada is the national anthem; God Save the King is the royal anthem.
- Hockey vs lacrosse. Hockey is played on ice, so it is the winter sport. Soccer has the most registered players, but it is not a national sport.
- Victoria Cross vs Order of Canada. The VC is for bravery in battle; the Order of Canada is for achievement and service.
- The motto. Canada’s motto is “from sea to sea”. “Peace, order and good government” comes from the 1867 constitution, and Je me souviens (“I remember”) is Quebec’s motto.
- Maple leaf vs fleur-de-lys. The maple leaf stands for Canada; the fleur-de-lys stands for French royalty, New France and today Quebec.
- 1916 vs 1927. The Centre Block burned in 1916; the Peace Tower was completed in 1927.
- Gothic Revival vs French Second Empire. The Parliament Buildings in Ottawa vs Quebec’s National Assembly.
- Bilingual province. New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province. Quebec’s official language is French.
- Stanley Cup vs Grey Cup. Hockey (Lord Stanley, 1892) vs Canadian football (Lord Grey, 1909).
- Remembrance Day vs Vimy Day. November 11 honours all who served; April 9 recalls the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.
How to study this page
Cover the “Remember” column with your hand and try to say each fact from the symbol’s name. Then do the same the other way round: look at a year and name the symbol. The flashcards are built for exactly this kind of quick review.
Now practise: take Practice Test 1 and check how many symbol questions you get right.
This guide is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. Rules and fees can change — always confirm on the official IRCC website before you apply or pay.