Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Canada's Maple-Leaf Flag

Growing up in the USA, I am very familiar with "the stars and stripes", "Old Glory", the US flag. I know the story of how Betsy Ross sewed the first flag with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen stars in 1776. I learned how whenever a new State was added, another star was also added to our flag - now with fifty stars - but still the 13 stripes to represent the original 13 colonies.

So, now I'm a "Lost Canadian", I thought it would be important for me to learn about the Canadian flag - and today I'm sharing with you what I have learned . . .

• The National Flag of Canada, though simple with its red and white colors and a single maple leaf, symbolizes pride and strength throughout Canadian history. 
• The National Flag of Canada stands out both at home and abroad as one of the most striking and recognizable symbols representing Canada.
• Several different flags were used in Canada before our current
  
  National Flag. Since the first days of the European presence on Canadian soil, the flags of the European homelands, such as France, were displayed. The flags of British North America used in colonial Canada showcased ties to the British Empire.
• Both before and after Confederation in 1867, Canada used the United Kingdom’s Royal Union Flag, commonly known as the Union Jack.
• Another British flag used in Canada was the Red Ensign. While
  
  it was officially a naval flag used by Canadian ships starting in the 1890s, the Canadian Red Ensign — a combination of the Union Jack and the shield of Canada — had been used unofficially both at sea and on land since the 1870s and was widely recognized as a national symbol. 
• As Canada matured as a nation, it became more important to create uniquely Canadian symbols to represent the country. In 1921, King George V granted Royal Arms to Canada and the shield of Canada’s new official coat of arms took its place on the Canadian Red Ensign. It is this version of the Canadian Red Ensign that represented Canada during the Second World War.
• In 1960, Lester B. Pearson, then Leader of the Opposition,
  
  declared he was determined to solve what he called “the flag problem.” To Pearson, this issue was critical to defining Canada as a unified, independent country. Pearson began by proposing a concept for a new flag featuring a sprig of 3 red maple leaves, similar to those in the national coat of arms, on a white background bordered by 2 blue stripes. 
• Another design was a concept with a central maple leaf, the
  
  Union Jack, and the historic royal banner of France (a blue background with 3 golden fleurs-de-lys, as found on the coat of arms of Canada)
• One of the more well-received concepts considered by the committee was proposed by George Stanley, Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario. Inspired by RMC’s own flag, Stanley recommended a concept featuring a single, stylized red maple leaf on a white background with 2 red borders.
• On October 22, 1964, the committee voted in favor of Stanley’s single-leaf concept. Two months later the House of Commons approved, followed shortly after by the Senate. 
• The new maple leaf flag was made official by a proclamation
  
  from Queen Elizabeth II on January 28, 1965. On February 15 of that year, it was inaugurated in a public ceremony on Parliament Hill. Thousands of Canadians gathered as the Canadian Red Ensign was lowered and, at the stroke of noon, the new National Flag of Canada was hoisted. Prime Minister Pearson’s words on the occasion resound with hope and determination: “May the land over which this new flag flies remain united in freedom and justice … sensitive, tolerant, and compassionate towards all.”
• While the design of the flag was new, it featured a familiar symbol which had a long history of use in Canada. The maple leaf emerged in the 19th century as a symbol of Canadian identity and was everywhere in popular culture: books, songs, coins, badges, banners, and many other items. Generations of Canadians had already adopted the maple leaf as a symbol of their identity, but it was during the First World War — where it was used as the cap badge worn by members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force — when it became the most widely recognized emblem of the nation. For many, the maple leaf was a shared symbol of pride, courage, and loyalty.
• Red and white are colors which have historically been used by many nations, including those which contributed to the founding of Canada. Many Canadians have come to embrace these colors as representative of natural features prominent in some parts of our country: the white of winter snows, and the red of autumnal maple leaves.

I love Prime Minister Pearson's words, “May the land over which this new flag flies remain united in freedom and justice … sensitive, tolerant, and compassionate towards all.”, as Canada is these things today for sure - and found all this information to be very interesting and love how Canada's flag represents pride, courage, loyalty, the snow and autumnal maple leaves - all important parts of Canada for sure! You will find more information about Canada's flag at this link.