According to the Government of Canada Web site, “Flags are symbols that identify people belonging to a group.” The Canadian flag seen in this News in Review report has not always been the Canadian symbol flying from flagpoles and yardarms around the world. Canada has had a number of flags.

The St. George’s Cross of 15th century England was flown by John Cabot when he arrived on the east coast in 1497. Jacques Cartier planted the fleur-de-lis flag as he claimed the land for France when he landed 37 years later. The fleur-de-lis remained aloft until the 18th century, when Canada was ceded to Britain. The Royal Union flag, made up of the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew then replaced the fleur-de-lis. When the Cross of St. Patrick was added following the Act of Union in 1801 the Union Jack was born. In addition to the Union Jack, the Canadian Red Ensign—flag of the British Merchant Marine modified by the addition of the shield from the Canadian Coat of Arms—was flown from approximately 1870 until the approval by resolution in the House of Commons in 1965 of Canada’s current flag.

The Creation of a Canadian Symbol
The familiar red maple leaf flag flown today is the result of a political process that began in 1925 when a Privy Council committee began researching potential designs for a national flag; however, their work was never completed so the Canadian Red Ensign and the Union Jack continued to represent Canada. In 1946, 2600 designs for a new flag were submitted to a select parliamentary committee but no final design was presented to the Parliament of Canada for approval. It was not until the centennial celebrations of Confederation were approaching and Canada still had no flag to call its own that a search began in earnest.

In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson advised the House of Commons that the government wanted a distinctive national flag adopted by the time of the 1967 centennial celebrations. A joint Senate and House of Commons Committee was formed and issued a call for submissions for the design of a new Canadian flag design. The committee met 46 times, listening to heraldic experts, historians, and ordinary Canadian citizens. More than 2000 proposals were submitted, ranging from beavers munching on birch trees to the northern lights shining over the Arctic Ocean. The committee narrowed the choices down to three options: a Red Ensign combined with a fleur-de-lis and Union Jack; three red maple leaves on a single stem with a white background and blue borders; and a red flag with a single maple leaf in a white square. The Prime Minister preferred the three-maple-leaf design, but the debate continued.

Red and white, having been proclaimed Canada’s national colours in 1921, were the colours decided upon, but the design was still incomplete. Two heraldry experts, an Ontario MP, and George Stanley, the Dean of Arts at Kingston’s Royal Military College, played key roles in the advisory and decision-making process for the new flag. Although Stanley is generally credited with the design of our current flag, it could be argued that no one single person created the design. In many ways, the design was a collaborative effort, and the final determination was made by a 15-member parliamentary committee.

The inclusion of the maple leaf in the new Canadian flag in 1965 was official recognition of its prominent usage on badges for the Canadian Forces, other unofficial emblems, and its contribution to the Canadian economy through the maple sugar industry, wood products, and beautification of the Canadian landscape. Although the maple tree did not become Canada’s national arboreal emblem until April 25, 1996, it has always played an important role in Canada for commercial, environmental, and aesthetic reasons. While it is the generic maple species that is now Canada’s arboreal emblem, 13 species are native to North America. Of these 13 species, 10 grow in Canada and at least one grows naturally in every province.

On December 15, 1964, the House of Commons passed a bill instituting the current flag. The Senate passed the bill two days later, and the official proclamation of the new Canadian flag by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, occurred on February 15, 1965. It was almost 100 years after the creation of Canada that a distinctively Canadian national flag came into being. At noon on February 15, 1965, the maple leaf flag was raised for the first time at special ceremonies on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Simultaneously it was raised in communities of all sizes across the country. At the raising of the flag in Ottawa, the Honourable Maurice Bourget, Speaker of the Senate, said, “The flag is the symbol of the nation’s unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief, or opinion.”

Discussion
1. What does the Canadian flag mean to you?

2. Discuss the symbolism of the red maple leaf on the white background with red borders.

3. Do you agree with the words of the Honourable Maurice Bourget? As a national symbol, can or does the flag of Canada represent all the citizens of Canada?