CANADA DAY FLAG

 Canada Flag Day


by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East
     In February when the Canadian winter really settles in, we have something great to celebrate.  Something which made us a nation to be proud of.

You've seen it proudly flying throughout the country. Maybe you've waved a paper hand flag on Canada Day, or worn it as a pin on your jacket. Maybe you've even sewn one on to your backpack and travelled the world! Regardless of where you see it, the National Flag of Canada stands out both at home and abroad as one of the most striking and recognizable symbols representing Canada.

February 15 is Flag Day in Canada, the annual day on the calendar where we mark the first raising of the "new" Canadian flag, the Maple Leaf, on Parliament Hill in 1965.

While the quest for a national flag for Canada dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the flag as we know it today emerged from the major social transformations during the 1950s and 1960s in the lead up to the 100th anniversary of Confederation in 1967.

In 1960, Lester B. Pearson, then Leader of the Opposition, declared that 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. As the newly elected Prime Minister in 1963, Pearson promised to resolve the question of a new national flag in time for Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967.

A parliamentary committee was created and given a 6-week deadline to submit a recommendation for a national flag. Debate within the committee was fierce, divided between those who wished to retain the symbols that tied Canada to its colonial history, and those who wanted Canada to adopt its own symbols for the future. This period was known as the Great Flag Debate.

The legendary Flag Debate has seen two respected Canadians making their points, the great John Diefenbaker - who wanted Canada to keep using his beloved Red Ensign - and the equally great Lester Pearson, who wanted Canada to turn a new page with a flag distinctly our own.
While most Canadian historians and commentators have consistently criticized Mr. Diefenbaker for his stand and the long debate on the issue in the House of Commons, this actually helped all Canadians eventually accept the change. Canadians who feared such a radical change in symbols felt that their voices had been heard.  While they feared the switch to a new national symbol, they had witnessed Mr. Diefenbaker fight for their cause and this in turn, helped in the end to cement the Maple Leaf in its earliest years.

One of the more well-received designs considered by the parliamentary 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 design featuring a single, stylized red maple leaf on a white background with 2 red borders.

On October 22, 1964, the committee voted in favour of Stanley's single-leaf design. Two months later the House of Commons approved, followed shortly after by the Senate.

Let's review the history of the Canadian flag for a moment.  The flag that was first raised on February 15, 1965, the flag that has made us all proud as Canadians to have our own beloved Maple Leaf centered Canadian flag.

Several different flags were used in Canada before our current National Flag. Since the first days of European presence on Canadian soil, flags of European homelands, such as France, have been 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.
During the First World War, the Canadian Red Ensign became a popular patriotic emblem.
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.

Beyond a new coat of arms, many Canadians also wanted a new, distinctive Canadian flag to represent them. Appeals for such a flag increased steadily in the early 20th century. But creating an entirely new flag was no easy feat. Which symbols could be chosen to represent and characterize Canada and its values?

In the years following the Second World War, public opinion grew in favour of a new national flag, but the nation was divided. Canadians had fought and died under the Union Jack and the Canadian Red Ensign and many were still attached to these emblems and to their British heritage.
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. At the stroke of noon, the new National Flag of Canada was hoisted.

The 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. 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."
In conclusion, during these difficult times with the Covid-19 pandemic and the fall-out from it ravaging our nation, it becomes important that we unite under our beloved national symbol, the Canadian Flag. If our nation endures for a thousand years, the 15th day of February, 1965, will always be remembered as a milestone in Canada's progress as a nation.
Under this Flag may our citizens find new inspiration for loyalty to Canada; for a patriotism based on our deep traditions of freedom, fairness and responsibility, and the pride that all Canadians can feel for our richly endowed and beautiful land.
Happy Flag Day!