History of the Canadian flag
The Canadian national flag is relatively recent since the country adopted the current graphic design only in 1965. What did the flag of Canada look like before this date? Here is a brief history of this Canadian emblem.
The current Canadian Flag comes from the great social transformations of the following decades : 1950s and 1960s. Although the quest for a national flag began at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, its history dates back to the beginning of the colonization of the America.
Indeed, from the start of colonization, Europeans displayed their flag on the lands they conquered in America. France and the British flew their respective flag of the time.
Confederation (1867)
Before and after Confederation in !867, Canada used the Royal Union Flag of the United Kingdom. This flag is commonly called the Union Jack. In fact, this flac, used throughout British North America for a long time, was the Canadian flag until 1965.
Canadian Red Ensign
A the same time, another flag, unofficial, had been used officially at sea and on land since the 1870s. This is the Canadian Red Ensign; another British flag. From 1890, this flag became the official flag of Canadian ships.
The Canadian Red Ensign combines the Union Jack flag and shield of Canada. There are several versions of this flag. Sometimes we add elemets, such as :
- Garlands of maple leaves;
- Crowns;
- Beavers.
The shield which appears on the flag is also modified. The coats of arms of the provinces ares included as they are included in Confederation.
Royal coat of Arms of Canada
In 1921, King George V granted a coat of arms to Canada. The shield of the new official coat of arms is then affixed to the Canadian Red Ensign.
From 1921 to 1957, the maple leaves on the shield were green. In 1957, the color of the maple leaves was changed to red. This last model remained in force until 1965.
The Suez Canal conflict and the quest for the right flag
In 1956, Israel, France and the United Kingdom began occupying Egypt during the Suez Canal Crisis. Canada participated in this conflict by sending military troops to act as peacekeepers for the United Nations. However, the Canadians fly the Red Ensign on wihich the Union Jack appears. The Egyptians then think that Canada is fliying the flag of an invading nation. This misunderstanding reinforces the need to have a distinct and unique Canadian national flag.
Added to this is the fact that a good nomber of Canadians want to have a new flag that represents them well since the beginning of the century. Moreover, in 1925, then in 1946, we looked at possible concepts for the creation of a new nantional flag. However, Prime Minister Mackenzie King postponed the project each time because he feared it would lead to political instability.
After World War II, the idea of having a new flag became more and more popular. But many are reluctant to this project because they are still attached to the Union Jack and the Canadian Red Ensign as well as their British heritage.
The new Canadian national flag
In 1960, then-Opposition Leader Lester B. Pearson believed it was essential to resove the flag issue so that Canada could take its place as a united and independent country. Pearson was elected prime minister in 1963. He promised to end the flag debate and adopt the new national flag in time for Canada’s centennial celebrations in 1967.
The firts concept developed by Alan Beddoe (artist and expert in heraldry) presents a branch of 3 red maple leaves similar to that of the national coat of arms on a white background bordered by 2 blue lateral bands. This design is called the “pearson Pennant”. This model arouses strong opposition and heated debates. This period is known as the “Great Flag Debate”.
After examining thousands of concepts, we finally select 3. Then, the committee choose the current model but with a small difference. Indeed, when the current flag was chosen, its maple leaf had 13 points. However, we had to slightly modify the design of the maple leaf because it lost all its details when viewed from a distance. It was therefore redesigned with only 11 points.
It was on January 28, 1965 that the actual flag became official with the proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II. On February 15, 1965, the flag was unveiled during a public ceremony on Parliament Hill.
Why did we choose a maple leaf?
In the 19th century, the maple leaf appeared as a symbol of Canadian identity. This symbol is found everywhere in popular culture:
- Books;
- Songs;
- Coins;
- Badges;
- Banners;
- Etc.
For many, the maple leaf is a common symbol of pride, courage and loyalty.
References :
https://www.canada.ca/fr/patrimoine-canadien/services/drapeau-canada-histoire.html
https://www.canada.ca/fr/patrimoine-canadien/services/drapeau-canada-description.html
