Canada's Own Victoria Cross

It took 15 years from the time Queen Elizabeth II gave assent for Canada to have its own Victoria Cross, but in 2008 the Canadian government finally combined traditions of the British Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth's highest medal for gallantry in battle, with some Canadian touches to create a new Canadian Victoria Cross.

The original Victoria Cross was created by Queen Victoria in 1856 and awarded "for the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty, in the presence of the enemy.” Since then, 81 members of Canada’s military forces received the Victoria Cross up to the end of World War II. The criteria for awarding the modern Canadian Victoria Cross remain the same.

To keep with tradition, the Canadian Victoria Cross maintains most of the design of the British Victoria Cross, and includes a percentage of the gun metal used in the manufacture of the Commonwealth Victoria Cross.

To make it Canadian, the motto on the insignia was changed from “For Valour” to the Latin “Pro Valore,” to accommodate Canada's official languages, and the fleur-de-lis was added to the traditional rose, thistle and shamrock for a link to the floral elements in the Royal Arms of Canada. Bronze from a Confederation Medal, a medallion commissioned in 1867 to mark Canadian Confederation, and other metals mined across Canada were also used in the production of the Canadian Victoria Cross.

Twenty Canadian Victoria Crosses and six second award bars, as well as the remaining alloy which can be used to cast future decorations, will be held by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall.

Photo: Canadian Victoria Cross
Courtesy of Office of the Secretary to the Governor General of Canada

Canada at War
Canada and the South African War
Canada and World War I
Canada and World War II