8.1.1 Canadian Symbols

Canada uses many symbols. A symbol can be an object, an event, or a person that carries a special meaning for the country. Taken together, these symbols explain what it means to be Canadian. They also express the identity that Canadians share. Some are hundreds of years old. Others are much newer. You meet them on coins, on public buildings, in sport, and at ceremonies. Learning them is part of learning the country, because each one holds a piece of Canada's story.

Several Canadian symbols are things you can see and watch. The Mace of the House of Commons sits in the chamber in Ottawa when Parliament meets. The Snowbirds, whose formal name is 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, fly displays and are treated as a national icon. The Musical Ride of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is another well-known sight, performed in Ottawa and elsewhere. These are living symbols: people gather to watch them, and they appear in photographs of Canada around the world.