June 21, 1965, a preacher in a small church in the suburbs of Toronto, gave a sermon on the early history of our country and showed how closely religion was tied in with it.
My sister wrote notes on that sermon in her diary. “He used the text ‘He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the great river to the outermost part of the world’” she explained. Then she commented on the preacher’s points about the naming of our country and the motto we chose.
Reading my late sister’s diary entry, inspired me to find out more about the verse quoted in the sermon she heard and its connection to Canada’s history.
I learned in high school that delegates from three British North American colonies travelled to England in 1867 for meetings that would finalize the details to make the colonies a self-governing country. The delegates represented the Province of Canada (divided into Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
I never knew the names of the men who were our country’s “Fathers of Confederation” but a quick search for information on the text quoted in the sermon my sister heard led me to websites discussing Sir Samuel Leonard Tilly who represented the colony of New Brunswick at the London meetings.
Tilly, as noted by his son, Samuel Tilly, was responsible for the term Dominion rather than Kingdom for Canada’s title. While Tilly’s Christian faith is not noted in many websites giving his political achievements, faith-based websites and commentaries relate a story of Tilly reading Psalm 72 in his morning devotions on the day when the Fathers of Confederation settled on the title for Canada. When the discussion began, Tilly was reminded of verse 8 of Psalm 72 which reads, “And he shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” He suggested Dominion for Canada’s title. It was agreed upon by all who signed the Constitution Act establishing the Dominion of Canada. The association of Dominion as it is used in Psalm 72 is generally recognized and some would note indicates Canada’s formation as a Christian Nation.
When our official Canadian coat of arms was adopted by proclamation of His Majesty King George V in 1921, the motto placed on it was based on the same Bible verse which motivated our distinction as the Dominion of Canada. The words of the motto are written in Latin but have been officially translated as “From Sea to Sea” and cited as a reference to Psalm 72:8. In 1994, a circular, red ribbon was added to the arms with another motto, in Latin, from the Order of Canada. The English translation for this motto, “They desire a better country”, is found in the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 11 and verse 16.
Our Coat of Arms, with its motto, is used on federal government buildings, official seals, money, passports and publications. It is a visible reminder of the religious ties that established our nation.
In 1960, Lester B. Pearson, then leader of the opposition, raised awareness for a flag design that would define our country. He proposed one design in 1964 with 2 blue stripes on the left and right borders which would refer back to Psalm 72 and its use in our motto with the words “from sea to sea.” The flag was later adopted with a change in the colour of the bars from blue to red, but the design is still a reminder of the religious ties that formed our country.
July 1 was the date requested in 1868 by proclamation of Her Majesty Queen Victoria to celebrate the creation of Canada. In 1879 a federal law made July 1 a statutory holiday for the Anniversary of Confederation. The holiday became known as Dominion Day and was officially changed in 1982 to Canada Day.
This year on Canada Day, after reading my sister’s diary and finding information in my website search on the religious ties in the beginning of our country, I took time to reflect on our title, The Dominion of Canada, our motto, “From Sea to Sea” and our flag which again reminds us of the words in Psalm 72. Then, as always, I celebrate our nation and remember the God of all creation who brought us together in this country that was dedicated to Him and His supreme authority over all the heaven, water’s and land.
Sources:
British North America Act, 1867 – justice.gc.ca
Constitution Act, 1867 – thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
Tilly, Sir Samuel Leonard – Dictionary of Canadian Biography – biography.ca
Confederation – Government of Canada – canada.ca
Fun Facts about Canada’s History – cbc.ca
Fathers of Confederation Canadian History – britannica.com
Sir Samuel Leonard Tilly – thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
Thanking God for 150 years – ngtimes.ca
Canada and Christ’s Dominion from Sea to Sea – christiancourier.ca
Official Symbols of Canada – canada.ca
The History of the National Flag of Canada – canada.ca
The Great Canadian Flag debate – en.wikipedia.org
Brenda Jones is a retired teacher who enjoys history, drama and writing. She volunteers in her church and community as a speaker, workshop leader and for health advisory committees. She offers workshops to discover and write your story. In the fall of 2023 Brenda will present a family story writing and sharing workshop for the BC Genealogy society.
Glad to see an article by Brenda in this edition. I think it may be a first, but stand to be corrected. Brenda was one of the organizers of our Christian Writers’ Conference on May 5 this year. It’s always good to be reminded of some of the Christian influences in the shaping of our nation.