Before confederation, July 1, 1867, there were several Canadian flags that were used, many of which were not official flags of Canada. February 15th is National Flag of Canada Day.
Some of the flags that were used in Canada’s colonial history were the fleur-de-lis (1647) and St. George’s Cross (1577). In the ninetieth century the British Union Jack became the official national flag of Canada. Though even after confederation, the Canadian red ensign flag was used. You can see the pictures of the Canadian flags below.
The initial design of the Canadian flag which found Prime Minister Lester Pearson’s favour had three maple leafs with two blue stripes which became known as the Pearson Pennant. In fact, establishing a distinct Canadian flag was part of Mr. Pearson’s Liberal party platform which he promised in 1961.
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| Public Domain Canadian Flag Images |
The current red and white flag with the red maple leaf was suggested by George Stanley and was approved by Canadian parliament in 1964. Reaching a consensus was not without bitter debate and protest, but this new flag design became officially effective on February 15, 1965.
I’ve seen many of the earlier version and proposals of the Canadian national flag, and to be honest, my favourite choice is definitely the current flag. I moved to Canada in early 1998 and now call Canada my home. To me, when I see the Canadian national flag, I think unity, peace and freedom. I am proud to be Canadian. Happy National Flag of Canada Day!
Image Credits: The Canadian flags used on this blog are public domain images. The intro picture was taken by blog author at Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
