Flag of Canada

This article is about the national flag of Canada. For other Canadian flags, see Flags of Canada.

Canada
The Canadian Flag
  • The Maple Leaf
  • l'Unifolié (French)
UseNational flag, civil and state ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Flag can be hung vertically by hoisting on a normal pole, then turning the pole 90°
Proportion1∶2
AdoptedFebruary 15, 1965; 59 years ago (1965-02-15)
DesignA vertical triband of red (hoist-side and fly-side) and white (double width) with one red maple leaf centred on the white band.
Designed byGeorge F. G. Stanley

The National Flag of Canada (French: Drapeau national du Canada),[1] often referred to simply as the Canadian flag, consists of a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of 1∶2∶1, in which is featured one stylized, red, 11-pointed maple leaf charged in the centre.[2] It is the first flag to have been adopted by both houses of Parliament and officially proclaimed by the Canadian monarch as the country's official national flag.[3] The flag has become the predominant and most recognizable national symbol of Canada.

In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson formed a committee to resolve the ongoing issue of the lack of an official Canadian flag, sparking a debate about a flag change to replace the Union Flag. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design by Mount Allison University historian George Stanley,[4] based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, was selected. The flag officially appeared on February 15, 1965; the date is now celebrated annually as National Flag of Canada Day.

Before 1965, the Canadian Red Ensign had been in unofficial use since the 1860s and was later officially approved by a 1945 Order in Council for use "wherever place or occasion may make it desirable to fly a distinctive Canadian flag".[5][6] Also, the Royal Union Flag remains an official flag in Canada, to symbolize Canada's allegiance to the monarch and membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.[7] There is no law dictating how the national flag is to be treated, but there are conventions and protocols to guide how it is to be displayed and its place in the order of precedence of flags, which gives it primacy over the aforementioned and most other flags.

Many different flags created by Canadian officials, government bodies, and military forces contain the maple leaf motif in some fashion, either by having the Canadian flag charged in the canton or by including maple leaves in the design. The Canadian flag also appears on the government's wordmark.

  1. ^ "National flag of Canada". Government of Canada. September 11, 2017.
  2. ^ Matheson 1980, p. 177
  3. ^ "The history of the National Flag of Canada". Government of Canada. August 28, 2017.
  4. ^ Richard Foot (February 13, 2014). "The Stanley Flag". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on July 25, 2017.
  5. ^ Stacey, C. P., ed. (1972). "19. Order in Council on the Red Ensign, 1945". Historical documents of Canada. Vol. 5. New York City: St. Martin's Press. p. 28. ISBN 0-7705-0861-8.
  6. ^ "First "Canadian flags"". Department of Canadian Heritage. September 24, 2007. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008.
  7. ^ Ken Reynolds (April 21, 1965). "Royal Union Flag (Union Jack)". The Canadian Encyclopedia.