Let’s celebrate the Canadian flag & How we got here

February 15, 1965.

Canada’s red and white maple leaf flag was raised for the very first time on Parliament Hill at the stroke of noon.

Our national flag, with its iconic red and white stripes and maple leaf, is without a doubt the most popular symbol of Canada.

The flag of Canada, a red stylized maple leaf with 11 points at the centre of a white background and vertical red bands on the left and right side, not only represents the cultural heritage of the nation but also symbolizes hope, peace, tranquillity, and neutrality dominant in the country.

Did you know Canada is the only country with a maple leaf on its flag?

So today, February 15, 2023, let’s celebrate the Canadian Flag!

As Roman Mars (Radio Vexillologist) says, "Few things give me greater joy in life than a well-designed flag" before proudly putting a picture of our Canadian Flag on the screen in a 2015 TedTalk.

The OG

Before that glorious day in 1965, there were years of angry debates and a parade of competing designs was put down.

Although the flag debate had been going on for a long time, it officially started on June 15, 1964, when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson proposed his plans for a new flag in the House of Commons. The debate lasted more than six months, dividing LOTS of people in the process. The debate over the proposed new Canadian flag was ended by closure on December 15, 1964. It resulted in the adoption of the "Maple Leaf" as the Canadian national flag.

Before we got to the flag we all know so well, the unofficial but widely used flag of Canada was the Red Ensign. It was British to the core, but also suited Canadian nationalists much better than the official Union Jack.

Red Ensign (1957-1965)

The PM's Design

In 1958, an extensive poll was taken of the attitudes that adult Canadians held toward the flag, over 80% wanted a national flag entirely different from that of any other nation, and 60% wanted their flag to bear the maple leaf.

In the gruelling 1964 quest for a national flag, the red-and-white and maple leaf motifs found their way onto numerous submissions from organizations and citizens across Canada — notably the Pearson Pennant made by Lester B. Pearson himself, which used the more traditional three-leaf design seen on the coat of arms, sided by blue strips that represented the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

This one was... interesting as no one really liked it.
An Alberta newspaper asked local readers to write in with their thoughts. One response: "I don't like the three maple leaves on the white background... the single maple leaf looks better. As I am only 10 [I] will have to look at it longer than Mr. Pearson."

1964 Pearson Pennant design

Almost There... But we need Our Own

By now the flags all had the red bars and that red leaf. However, they still wanted one that conveyed allegiance to Canada while also being free from colonial association.
They had added to our flag the Union Jack, and the historic royal banner of France. (blue background with 3 golden fleurs-de-lys, as found on the coat of arms of Canada)

1964 design featuring Alan Beddoe’s 13-point leaf

Proud Red and White

The new Canadian flag used a shade of scarlet darker than the red of Britain’s Union Jack and lighter than that in America’s stars and stripes. It had to be recognizable from great distances, suggesting the classic shape of the sugar maple even while flapping in high winds. While an anatomically correct sugar maple leaf has 23 points the flag settled on an easy 11 points.

The new maple leaf flag was made official by a proclamation from Queen Elizabeth II on January 28, 1965.

On February 15, 1965, Canada's new flag was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The National Film Board of Canada was there to record this historic event. CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

The Proclamation of the Canadian Flag, 1965. © Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1989-253-1

In 1967, the year of Canada’s 100th birthday, our new flag was showcased to the world at Expo ‘67

The story of how we settled on the flag we have today is a VERY long journey but I highly recommend diving into it!
There were LOTS of flags that almost made the cut. I narrowed it down to just a few but it's worth talking about some that would never EVER be considered.

Ones that would never fly, but are still quite awesome!

Hm... What about the FIFTH Beatle?