The Fleur-de-Lis, the official symbol of Quebec, is a stylized depiction of the lily flower, Lilium bosniacum. Originating from the French kings in the Middle Ages, the fleur-de-lis has been used as an emblem of French royalty since 496 when Clovis, the first Christian king, was granted the arms. The emblem, which features a white cross on a blue background, represents the Canadian province of Quebec.
The fleur-de-lis symbol represents a heraldic iris, with drooping sepals (falls) and the Greek goddess Iris. The flower is named after Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods between heaven and earth. The shield bears three gold fleur-de-lis on a blue background symbolizing the French regime, a gold lion on a red background symbolizing the British regime, and green maple leaves representing Canada.
The Fleurdelisé, or “with the fleur-de-lis”, has been a strong symbol of Quebecois identity since its inception. The fleur-de-lis symbolizes the French monarchy’s authority and the colony’s colony’s independence. The emblem was revived in 1992 as a national symbol.
In Québec, the Fleurdelisé, meaning “with the fleur-de-lis”, represents the Canadian province of Quebec. The symbol’s history, symbols, and origins can be traced back to the year 496 when Clovis, the first Christian king, was granted the arms.
📹 What Happened to the Old Canadian Flag?
The Canadian flag is one of the most iconic in the world with it’s red-white-red vertical tripartite division and maple leaf design in …
What does the Quebec flower represent?
The Fleur de Lys, or Lily Flower, is a significant symbol for Quebec and its population, representing a francophone culture in America. The first official Quebec flag was deployed in 1948, inspired by the Carillon flag. The flag readjusts the “lillies” that point behind the white cross’s center, reflecting the population’s evolution over time. The blue used to make the flag originally symbolized the Virgin Mary, reflecting Quebec’s Catholic and pious nature.
Today, the shade of blue has darkened to royal blue, representing the coat of arms of the French kings of La Nouvelle-France or New France. The white cross has a similar history, representing Christianity at its beginning and now a reminder of the flag the Kingdom of France waved as it conquered New France. The lilies represent French royalty, who adopted its symbolism over a thousand years ago. One of the first representations of the fleur de lys in association with French royalty was on Clovis the First’s flag, which featured a golden lily, an stylized adaptation of the yellow irises that grew on the banks of the Lys River in Beligum, which used to be part of the Kingdom of France.
What is the flower symbol of Quebec?
The blue flag, an indigenous spring flower, is the floral emblem of Quebec, as per the An Act respecting the flag and emblems of Québec, which came into force on November 5, 1999. The name “Quebec” comes from the Algonquin word for “narrow passage” or “strait”, first used to describe the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River near the City of Québec. Quebec has had several names throughout its history, including Canada, New France, Lower Canada, and Canada East.
The Aboriginal peoples who inhabited present-day Quebec before Europeans arrived were mostly members of the Algonquian and Iroquoian linguistic groups, with the Inuit occupying northern Quebec today. Quebec was one of the first areas of Canada to be explored and settled by Europeans, with Jacques Cartier claiming the land in 1534 and Samuel de Champlain founding the City of Québec in 1608, later becoming Montréal in the late 18th century.
What is the heraldic symbol of the lily?
The fleur-de-lis, also known as the fleur-de-lys, is a common heraldic charge in the shape of a lily, representing France and the House of Bourbon. It was used in the traditional coat of arms of France from the High Middle Ages until the French Revolution in 1792, and briefly in the 19th century. The fleur-de-lis has become a symbol of religious, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic representation, especially in French heraldry.
Saints such as the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph are often depicted with a lily. Modern usage of the fleur-de-lis reflects the continuing presence of heraldry in everyday life, often intentionally or unknowingly, while also extending the life of centuries-old insignia and emblems.
What does the lily symbolize in heraldry?
In the Middle Ages, the symbols of lily and fleur-de-lis were prominent in Christian religious art. They were initially found in depictions of Jesus but later took on Marian symbolism, with the Song of Solomon’s “lily among thorns” being a reference to Mary. The lily symbolized purity and chastity, and the fleur-de-lis represented the Holy Trinity. In medieval England, noblewoman seals often depicted the Virgin with a fleur-de-lis, reflecting the Marian connotations of female virtue and spirituality.
Images of Mary holding the flower first appeared in the 11th century on coins issued by cathedrals dedicated to her and on the seals of cathedral chapters, starting with Notre Dame de Paris in 1146. The flowers may be simple fleurons, garden lilies, or genuine heraldic fleurs-de-lis.
The three petals of the heraldic design reflect a widespread association with the Holy Trinity, with the band on the bottom symbolizing Mary. A tradition dating back to 14th-century France added that they also represented faith, wisdom, and chivalry. The cord can be seen as representing the one divine substance (godhood) of the three persons, which binds them together.
What is the flower on the French coat of arms?
The fleur-de-lis is a stylized emblem or device used in ornamentation and heraldry, particularly associated with the French crown. It is believed to have originated from the lily given at Clovis’ baptism by the Virgin Mary, which was said to have sprung from the tears shed by Eve as she left Eden. The lily has been a symbol of purity since antiquity and was adopted by the Roman Catholic church to associate the sanctity of Mary with events of special significance. When Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as emperor in 800, he was presented with a blue banner covered with golden fleurs-de-lis.
The French kings long used the fleur-de-lis as an emblem of their sovereignty. Philip I’s seal of 1060 features a short staff ending in a fleur-de-lis, while Louis VII’s Great Seal of 1120 features a single fleur-de-lis. Louis VII is believed to have been the first to use azure semé of fleurs-de-lis on his shield, but its use on banners and the French royal standard, the Oriflamme, may have been earlier. Charles V commanded the reduction to three fleurs-de-lis in 1376, reportedly in honor of the Holy Trinity.
The classical shape of the fleur-de-lis is the shape adopted by most artists today. Between the classical and modern periods, its design was modified by the limitations and taste of craftsmen and patrons, resulting in grotesque outlines during the “Decadence”.
What is the Lilly on the Quebec flag?
The Fleurdelisé, the Canadian flag, represents the province of Quebec, consisting of a white cross on a blue background with four white fleurs-de-lis. It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada and was first shown on January 21, 1948, at the Parliament Building in Quebec City. Legislation governing its usage was enacted on March 9, 1950, and Quebec’s Flag Day commemorates its adoption each year. Article 2 of the Act respecting the flag and emblems of Québec confers the status of a national emblem on the Quebec flag.
What do the flowers on the Canadian coat of arms mean?
The helmet, encircled by the national colors of Canada, symbolizes monarchy with floral emblems representing England, Scotland, Ireland, and France. It was formally adopted in 1921.
What does the flower mean on coat of arms?
In many instances, animals were utilized as the primary focus within coats of arms, frequently depicted in combat positions. The animals depicted were representative of specific traits, including wisdom, resourcefulness, and loyalty. The bear is a symbol of strength, cunning, and ferocity, while the boar represents bravery and combat to the death.
What do lilies symbolize?
Lilies are emblematic of purity, renewal, and transience. In Christianity, the Madonna Lily represents the Virgin Mary. Additionally, they are the national flower of Italy and depicted on the country’s coat of arms.
What does the lily mean on the coat of arms?
The fleur-de-lis, a symbol of perfection, light, and life, has been used historically to represent French royalty. Legend suggests that an angel presented Clovis, the Merovingian king of the Franks, with a golden lily as a symbol of his purification upon his conversion to Christianity. The symbol was first used by King Louis VI or VII in the twelfth century, and later by English kings to emphasize their claims to the throne of France. In the 14th century, it was often incorporated into family insignia on knights’ surcoats, leading to the term “coat of arms”.
The symbol’s use in battle evolved into a system of social status designations after 1483 when King Edmund IV established the Heralds’ College to supervise the granting of armor insignia. The fleur-de-lis has also been associated with religion and war, with Joan of Arc carrying a banner showing God blessing the French royal emblem. The Roman Catholic Church has ascribed the lily as the special emblem of the Virgin Mary. Military units, including the United States Army, use the symbol’s resemblance to a spearhead to identify martial power and strength.
What are the flowers in the coat of arm?
The Nigerian coat of arms features the national flower Costus spectabilis, symbolizing the country’s beauty. The banderole around the base bears the motto “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress” since 1978. The sable features a Pall wavy argent, Argent horses, and a wreath with an eagle displayed Gules. The badge of Colonial Nigeria (1914-1952) features a Green star of David on a red disk.
📹 What is the French “Fleur-de-Lys” (or Fleur-de-Lis) and what does it represent?
What is the “Fleur-de-Lys” (or “Fleur-de-Lis”) symbol? In this short video, I talk about what the symbol represents, where it comes …
When the final design of the Canadian flag was chosen, they hired Canadiana Textiles, a southern Ontario textile factory, to make the first one that would fly on the Peace Tower on Parliament hill. That factory was owned by a naturally born Canadian man of Japenese descent that was interned during World War II. He sewed it himself and had to create a red dye that would not fade in the sun. That flag is currently in the museum in the House of Commons. That man was my grandfather.
John Cabot landed in 1497, not 1479. And Cabot is meant to be pronounced with the t as John Cabot was actually an Italian born as Giovanni Caboto. John Cabot is his Anglicized name. During the 500th anniversary of his landing, a commemorative sculpture that includes the Lion of St Mark, a symbol of Venice, was gifted to Halifax from the regional government of Veneto in memory of John Cabot’s voyage since Caboto once lived in Venice. For the 500th-anniversary celebrations in 1997, Queen Elizabeth II along with members of the Italian and Canadian governments greeted the replica Matthew of Bristol, following her celebratory crossing of the Atlantic Newfoundland is pronounced with the same rhythm as “understand”. Newfoundland is pronounced that way because Newfoundland is a proper name. It’s three words put to together as a compound. Because they are not three independent words anymore, they lose some stresses, and when a syllable in English loses stress, the quality of the vowel is reduced.
John Diefenbaker was leader of the Progressive Conservatives, not the Liberals! And it was three provinces in 1867 as at that time, Ontario and Quebec were united as the Province of Canada. As the result of the Confederation, Ontario and Quebec were split. I’m glad Canada ended up choosing its current flag. It’s simple and iconic. The maple leaf’s symbolism in Canada started in the early 1700s when French settlers/Canadiens along the Saint Lawrence River adopted it. Then at the inaugural meeting of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society in 1834, the maple leaf was one of numerous emblems proposed to represent the society. Jacques Viger, Montreal’s first mayor, described the maple as “the king of our forest; the symbol of the Canadien people.” Out of the provincial flags, I love the ones of the Atlantic Canada provinces the most. Like how on the Newfoundland and Labrador flag, the flag design is that of etchings on Beothuk and Innu decorative pendants worn hung from a cord around the neck. Blue for water, white for snow, red for effort, gold for their confidence. Or how on the New Brunswick flag, the big lymphad evokes NB’s historical shipbuilding industry and the ships utilized by numerous Loyalists to land in the province after they fled from the US after the American Revolution
Fun fact, when John Diefenbaker died in 1979, he expressly wished to have his coffin draped with the Red Ensign instead of the Canadian flag, though it was customary to be draped with the latter. Apparently the coffin was draped first with the Canadian flag and then supplanted by the Red Ensign over top.
The Maple Leaf was derided by its critics when it was adopted as a KMart flag, an insignificant geometric design symbolizing nothing. The first couple of years, the red colour varied considerably, from a sickly rust orange shade to a rather flamboyant pink tone of red. It took a while to formalize the colour and have the flag grow in popularity. It is now one of the most recognized national symbols in the world.
I wondered why the Canadians changed their flag, albeit not very hard or I could have looked it up. That makes sense francophones wouldn’t regard the Union Jack warmly, and I imagine First Nations might have felt the same way. A problem with the crests is they’re just a blotch of colors from a distance, too detailed for a flag. Weirdly, given a consensus mess you might expect from a committee, they came up with something instantly striking.
I was a 11 year old, standing at my classroom window while perusal the old flag being removed and the new maple leaf flag raised. I remember crying as I was saying goodbye to the only flag I knew. Now I feel we have one of the best flags in the world. This was a great article that filled in the gaps I had about the flag change. Thanks so much Hilbert!
You missed my favourite part of the story: the way the Maple Leaf flag won out over the Pearson Pennant in committee. It was pretty certain the PCs on the committee would vote for the Maple Leaf, assuming that the Liberal committee members would vote for the Pennant. This would have result in a deadlock that would leave the Red Ensign as the de facto flag, like the PCs wanted. So the Liberals got together with the committee members from other parties to agree to vote on the Maple Leaf too. The committee vote ended up unanimous (much to the PCs chagrin). And that’s how the Maple Leaf even made it to the floor of the House of Commons in the first place.
Like it or not, the UK’s Union Flag is part of Canada’s history. The brilliance of the relationship between Canada and the old country is one of mutual love (I hope) for each other. I can say people in the UK really do look to Canada with fondness and a great deal of respect. You guys are working hard at ploughing your own furrow. It must be especially hard with your neighbour to the south.
The maple tree in Canada is mostly found in Ontario, Quebec and parts of the Atlantic/eastern provinces, not so much in Western Canada or the First Persons Territories. Still, it is found where most of the population of Canada is. Although it doesn’t have any blue for Quebec, the maple leaf does connect them to the flag. No matter what, it is a simple, elegant design that has become the symbol for Canada around the world.
I was a school boy when the flag changed. My dad worked for CBC news so the controversy was discussed at our dinner table. Everyone in our family supported the change—even though there was considerable resistance across the country. There was of course reaction from conservatives who typically cited the United Empire Loyalists who migrated to British North America, not least the area of Upper Canada where we are from (about 15 generations since my father’s forebears landed in New England and eventually became refugees —UEL—of the American rebellion, crossing the Niagara River in 1780), but also by french-speaking Québécois who wanted another new flag (since they never did like the Union Jack canton of the Red Ensign). But I recall my dad—who was a WWII vet—was proud of the new flag because it represented progress. And, besides, our provincial flag of Ontario looks almost identical (except for the heraldic arms) with the old national Red Ensign. I see you note two of a number of Canadian provinces which still feature the Union Jack (for example, the flag of British Columbia—the original being the flag of the Hudson Bay Company which had a Crown commercial charter over the two colonies of Vancouver Island and New Caledonia (the two colonies were joined before confederation to Canada—then thousands of miles away—in 1871). I remember Prime Minister Lester B Pearson presenting the three-leaf flag—but I always suspected it was a ruse and the single-leaf flag was ready to replace it as a somewhat insincere conciliatory gesture.
I knew the Canadian flag was a recent design, but I didn’t realize it was younger than I am! I can’t help but think (and yeah, I’m a Yank so may be slightly conditioned to think this way, LOL) that it was a good idea to have the national flag leave behind the colonial designs; Canada has developed its own identity in many ways and the national flag is an excellent representation of that fact.
10:44 – Important note, both the Ontario and Manitoba red ensign flags were adopted in 1965 after the adoption of the canadian flag, as a sop to people opposed to the new Canadian flag. Before that, the provinces (except quebec) didn’t have their own distinct flags, and just used the red ensign as well.
The Red Ensign meant a great deal to many veterans who had fought under it in two world wars and Korea, regardless of ethnic background. PM Pearson (though a veteran himself) was so tone deaf about this he thought that the Royal Canadian Legion convention was the appropriate place to announce the search for a new flag. His speech was drowned out by angry booing.
Hello Hilbert. As someone from UK, it is nice to keep links with countries that share a history, via the flag. I do like the Canadian flag though. Having been there, I see how the union flag could be a symbol that distinguished the country from the US, but the “new” flag does this too. I just knew, before you mentioned the Frisian flag, that you could not leave it out. I must have commented before that I got talking to a French speaking Canadian lass in Vancouver, who looked Irish. She explained that some Catholic Irish had settled in Quebec. We seemed to be getting along, but I realised she was just being a friendly Canadian, whatever the language. Funnily, my girlfriend is half Irish by ancestry, though she has a Yorkshire accent like mine. I often wonder if my French sounds like something from Ripping Yarns episode Eric Olthwaite to a native speaker? P.S. Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred and ninety two. No mention of Leif? I did not think you would leave Erikson out?
I had the privilege of meeting John Matheson personally on several occasions. A truer gentleman and patriotic Canadian than you will ever meet. In the late 70s, Judge Matherson told me this story himself. ( The day after I had “rescued” the car keys his lovely wife had locked inside her car. For the second time in about a month 😊😊). A wonderful couple all around. The Judge was definitely instrumental and his legacy is the Canadian Flag.
For those interested, a birch tree also has a sap that can be used but it may not have sugar in it. Tapped maple trees in season, but occasionally a birch tree, just for fun to test it. It flows much slower and is probably less productive with sugar content. Anyway, I would have to be very desperate to try tapping a birch tree, but you use what you have available.
The two provincial red ensign flags (for the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario) that you showed at the end of your article were not adopted until 1965. Prior to that, those provinces used the national red ensign. They adopted their own provincial red ensign flags as a reaction to the national red ensign being replaced by the maple leaf flags. From a branding and design perspective, the current Canadian flag is a good one. It is immediately identifiable as the flag of Canada.
I prefer the original suggestion for the flag of Canada, which was the Red Ensign with a large golden Maple Leaf. The problem I have with the current flag is that it contradicts our coat of arms, which is symbolises England and France. We have two contradictory symbols of Canada, the neutral Maple Leaf flag, and the English-French coat of arms.
Loving your content, so here’s some pronunciation tips to help you make it even better! “Cabot” sounds like “cabbit”. The second syllable of “ensign” rhymes with “sin”, not “sign”. “Newfoundland” sounds like “Noofin’ Land” — primary stress on the first syllable, secondary stress on the last. It’s “Diefenbaker”, not “Diefenbacker”, and the last two syllables sound exactly like “baker”.
I’m ethnically British on both sides with a long military history down my dad’s side, up to and including him. Even so, I don’t regret the change, and neither does he. Canada isn’t Britain. The British here are just part of the fabric, though it has to be said, the one the pretty much set up most of the institutions we live by. But our symbols need to represent all of us, but none of us, if you see what I mean. They have to say just “Canada”, not single out the ethnic groups who happen to live here. And that maple leaf they came up with is, let’s be honest, really something. It’s bold, iconic, and unique; it stands alone and wherever in the world it’s seen, people know what it represents. Frankly, I think it’s a work of quiet, humble genius that we’re truly lucky to have.
The red & white ground on our flag was used as identifying marks on our armoured vehicles in WWII. The flag of Montreal comes closest to recognizing our roots. It is the modified Cross of St. George with the French fleur de lis, English rose, Scots thistle, Irish Shamrock, and First Nations golden pine portrayed.
Yeah it is a good flag. I have a few items with the Canadian/Canadien flag and it is pretty simple and iconic. The flag stands for the idea of a place not so much a people or ethnic group of various types. Even the flag pin I have is pretty good to stand out when on Canada Day since I don’t leave that close to Canada. People almost instantly realize it is the Canadian flag and really isn’t what a flag is supposed to be? Yeah the providences have their own distinct cultures and heritages but the national government is different because it has to be the embodiment of them all. Cheers.
Lester B. Pearson was Prime Minister when the flag was adopted. There is no position in the Canadian government called “Governor”. There is the Governor-General, but that is a purely symbolic position. Other people have mentioned other errors, which were really simple and careless because they were not all that difficult or unknown. (I’m not talking about pronunciation of names.) Your content is interesting, and I hope you will take more care to be more accurate in your future articles.
Interesting article, but with some mistakes. It would be best to see a little more due diligence in these articles, considering they are educational based. I would recommend reaching out to people of the country that you’re talking about to confirm the authenticity of some of the information you’re providing, prior to releasing the article. – Cabot landed in 1497, not 1479. – Cabot’s named is pronounced as it’s spelled. The “T” is not silent. – Newfoundland was pronounced incorrectly, even in the attempt to say it right the second time in the article.
The 1972 Summit Series, a hockey tournament between Canada and the USSR, solidified the Maple Leaf flag for Canada. Their jersey had a big Maple Leaf on it and it was worn when they beat the Soviets. As an American hockey fan, it would just seem odd to see players like Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby, etc wearing the Union Jack on their jerseys.
In fact, the official flag remained the Union Jack and not the Red Ensign, which was a merchant navy flag until well into the 20th century. At 2:38, you mention that the arms of Canada shown on screen represent the provinces, but, though that was the case for the arms of 1869 granted by queen Victoria shown at 2:38, it is not the case for the arms shown at 2:41 which represent the founding peoples of Canada (which do not include natives, because this was a time where though they were acknowledged to have preceded the said founding peoples, they were not seen as founders of Canada as a political entity). The three lions obviously refer to the English, the red lion to the Scots, the harp to the Irish and the lys to the French with the three maple leaves referring to the three provinces that instigated the project of union: the province of Canada (Ontario and Quebec), the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
A friend of mine’s father was involved in the flag debate at the time, and had some great stories of the contentious debates the new flag proposal sparked. In meeting with the PM he was told this is going to be the new flag, and it wasn’t the one we have now. Lol. I’m so glad we got the flag we got. Its one of the most unique, yet simple designs out there. And of course one of the most recognisable. Also, I’m sorry, but your pronunciation is hilarious.
I have three flags at my home. The Union Flag, the Canadian Red Ensign, and the maple leaf. I ordered them in my preferential order. The Union Jack to symbolise our common monarchy and brotherhood as Commonwealth nations, The Canadian Red Ensign to show our history and what our soldiers fought under in the two world wars and beyond, and the Maple Leaf flag as our modern flag. 🎶 God save our King and heaven bless the Maple Leaf forever! 🎶
Keep the modern Canadian flag. It’s simplicity is its beauty and the artistic message of less is more embraces all Canadians. Yet keep the Canadian Ensign as a wartime battle flag. The Canadian Ensign brought Canada to ultimate victory in World War Two, Canada’s greatest moment of glory in its history. It should be remembered for that.
I know this isn’t a popular opinion amongst Canadians but I far prefer the old flag to the new one. At least for a sense of identity. I love the new flag, no mistake. But, sometimes it feels a bits blandly patriotic. But the old flag? Holy! that’s the flag we used to crush the Nazis. Its our unique Anglo, Franco, Celtic blend, all equally Canadian, that makes our bad ass nation what it is. All those peoples united under a shared commonwealth. The Pearson flag makes me patriotic. The old red ensign makes me proud.
Excellent presentation. Two points I imagine you did not have time to draw out. 1) Irish-Canadians probably had little interest in the Union Jack as part of the Canadian flag, as well as the francophones. 2) The French in Canada came mostly before the French Revolution and at least before the Quiet Revolution, were mostly Catholic. Hence the French tricolor was not something they would identify with, but instead with the fleur de lies.
1) the Suez Crises occurred in 1956, not 1957. PM Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his idea of UN peacekeeping troops. 2) Minor spelling & pronunciation observation: John Diefenbaker (without the “c”) is the correct spelling of the PM preceding Pearson’s premiership. Since there is no “c”, the third syllable in Diefenbaker is pronounced similar to one who makes bread.
I am 66 years old and I still distinctly remember as a child in grade 3 on February 15, 1965, being escorted outside by our teachers of our school in Greenwood Nova Scotia on a very cold, but very sunny day to witness this new flag being raised in nearby public park. Well researched but I see some of my predecessor commenters have pointed out the same corrections I was going to make regarding Definbaker political party, ponouniation as “Baker” and most notably the correction of the pronunciation of ” Red Ensign” as “Ensun” or “Ensen” (same as “send” without the “d”. 100 percent agree our flag is beautiful and simple exactly as it is!
Hi Hilbert, thanks for doing a article on Canada! But politeness aside, time for some pedantry: 1) Newfoundland is pronounced with the same rhythm as “understand”; the usual mnemonic is “you have to understand Newfoundland”, preferably while trying to impersonate John Crosby. 2) the Union flag is only used for very particular ceremonial uses (for example, being flown on the anniversary of the Statute of Westminster) and is very much not a national flag for Canada. Thanks for all your excellent articles, and especially for the strong Frisian perspective which the internet otherwise lacks.
I remember the contest quite well. I was in favour of Pearson’s Pennant. It supported the motto of Canada “From sea to Sea” and included the colours of both the Union Flag and the Flag of France. But, red borders won out. It is the most politically innocuous flag whose symbol is representative of a major feature of the largely inhabited part of the country – the maple. I can see where some Canadians of French descent would not agree to its attempt to be neutral, since a British king had decreed the maple leaf to be the symbol of Canada earlier in the century.. BTW…in actuality, the ‘missions of exploration’ were commercial enterprises.
Theoretically, we did not change the “Canadian” flag, we simply shed a colonial flag. Previous to our current flag, all Colonies were seen as part of the Dominion and thus had the same flag with a different coat of arms. Our Canadian flag was intriduced to demonstrate that we were our own country, in our own right, and not just a colony of GB. The same goes for many countries around the world who previously flew a dominion flag but now fly theur country flag.
Canada’s British and loyal identity truly died out sometime in the 1960’s, exemplified by the replacement of the red ensign in 1965 with our modern Maple Leaf flag. This ‘treacherous’ move was denounced by the last Orange Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, who passionately declaimed:”A flag that does not contain the greatness of your heritage, is no flag for a nation, any nation at all!”
My father served in the RCAF from 1943 through 1977. According to my mother, most of his fellow veterans resented being treated as ‘Colonials’ and the presence of the UK flag on the red ensign was a central part of this. That old red rag was basically a Royal Navy retread. Canada is not Britain’s rowboat.
As a Canadian, the new flag is so much better. It helped create a truly Canadian identity as Canadians and not just British subjects. Lots of Canadians have no British ancestry or have no love for the idea of the British Empire and would struggle to create an identity around a flag they have no connection with.
The old flag (Red Ensign) should have been kept as the Royal Flag or something. I just hate how most Canadians don’t know anything about it, or confuse it with the flags of Ontario and Manitoba when it was our flag for nearly 100 years! Was the flag used to represent Canada during every major conflict alongside the Union Jack and we just forgot about it..
This was very informative, and I thoroughly enjoyed it; frankly, I learned a lot. Thank you, Hilbert, for making this article. If it is possible, would you mind annotating that Cabot date? Of course, I realize this is just a typo (the 7 and 9 being switched, obviously), but I worry that children might misunderstand this as predating the more infamous date of 1492 (i.e., Columbus). In any case, do carry on, Good Sir.
It’s nothing short of a miracle that the flag was changed; that wouldn’t happen today. The current Canadian government is very aggressively pro-monarchy, with offices and school classrooms having portraits of the King prominently displayed just to distinguish themselves from the US. I won’t say the Pearson era was a less nationalistic or more Americentric period in Canadian history, but it was definitely a period of much greater disillusionment with the British Empire. And the design is top-notch.
The French lose to the Britts, set up shop in Quebec and have been complaining ever since. I wish we had of kept the history of the British somewhere on the flag. The current flag is definitely recognized worldwide however, I would like to see an update of some sort. There are some flags that when you see them they just look strong. 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇦🇺 🏴 🇿🇦 just a few that I like. Great article.
PM Lester Pearson remains the only Canadian ever to with the Nobel Peace Prize: In 1957, for his role in resolving the Suez Crisis through the United Nations one year earlier, Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The selection committee argued that Pearson had “saved the world”, but critics accused him of betraying the motherland and Canada’s ties with the UK.
There was never any “Progressive Liberal Party” in Canada. John Diefenbaker (pronounced DEE-fən-bay-kər) was head of the Progressive Conservative Party, and Prime Minister from 1957 to 1963. He was the first Prime Minister from Western Canada, and his base combined western agrarian populism with a streak of anti-Americanism, and the allegiance of elderly conservative people to whom the old British symbols meant something. Diefenbaker himself was of German and Scottish ancestry. The Progressive Conservative Party is usually called “the Tories” by Canadians, but in that era it did not much resemble its namesake in the U.K. —- Diefenbaker introduced medicare, appointed the first woman to cabinet, addressed many First Nations grievances, and vigorously opposed South African apartheid, but retained much appeal in socially conservative rural Canada. The British Connection was largely symbolic to him, something that kept Canada distinct from the United States. He latched onto the “keep the old ensign” side of the flag debate thinking that the country would be behind him, but it was a miscalculation. He was an old man, with no grasp of what Canada had become. By the mid-1960s, Canada’s population had only vague cultural ties to the U.K., and everybody under the age of forty thought of themselves as entirely Canadian. The British Empire meant no more to them than the Roman Empire. I was a little kid when the flag changed, living in a bilingual community, and knew nobody, English or French speaking, who didn’t welcome the new flag as a symbol of a country that felt young and looked to the future.
The Red Ensign was a direct nod to our colonial past. It’s a fine flag but as others have pointed out, on the 100th anniversary of Canada as an independent country, it was the right time for a flag that signifies our time and future as an independent country. We still have plenty of nods to our colonial origins that aren’t going away anytime soon so there’s no need to wear that on our proverbial sleeve via our flag. Also, the Maple Leaf flag is perfect in it’s simplicity, timelessness and instant recognition. I do have a soft spot for Pearson’s Pennant although it hasn’t aged very well. The shade of blue representing the oceans is very much a product of its time (think the robin blue on Air Force One).
As we are witnessing the demographics of Canada change I think the choice of avoiding either a British or French symbol showed a lot of foresight. Canada is vast, with many distinct regions, and cultural groups. People speak different languages, as well. A flag representing such a diverse population needs to be somewhat generic.
What is missing in the comments I read is the fact there is no colour blue in the Canadian flag. The 2 founding political parties of Canada are represented by the colours blue and red. The Liberal party is represented by red, which is the only colour (other than white) on our flag. The other founding party, Conservative, is represented by the colour blue, which is sadly absent.. The final decision for a red flag was made by the Liberal government who was in power at that time. Committees were a show piece just to say there was a committee. This red flag was not immediately, overwhelmingly, popular. Omitting the Conservative element was an abuse of power.
I was one of the many Canadian Public School kids in the early 1960’s whom participated in the country wide “Make a Flag” for submission to the government. Millions of us back then got a paper with an outline of the perimeter of the flag and our imaginations ran wild designing a New Flag of Canada. We all submitted our flags to our Classroom Teacher, and schools submitted our flags to somebody looking at them for reference. A lot of pride went into our designs. Even those that made pictures of moose that looked more like stick pictures of ducks in high heels. But the shill was already in. If you research the Flag, the Liberal Party of Canada played a sneaky game of stuff the box. If you are true to your research, its quickly found that the Liberal Party found a moment of sneakiness and installed the Flag vote in and adopted the Liberal Party of Canada’s colour pattern and emblem. All of these Flags were to be scrutinized for a final vote, and the Liberal Party of Canada cheated the system to get their Party’s colour hoisted over the country representing liberal domination over all citizens.
The Canadian flag ought to contain some blue and thus be red, white and blue like those of its sibling Anglo-Saxon countries, the UK, USA, Australia and NZ. Blue would also reflect the red, white and blue of its important French heritage and also the dark blue of the lovely blue and white flag of Quebec. There is still time to add blue to the Canadian flag, perhaps with the red Maple leaf being circled in blue, to match the roundel of the Canadian air force.
Very clearly articulated and to the point. It’s refreshing to not hear too much of the political rhetoric behind its indoctrination. I love our country. I love our flag just the way she is. Get rid of Trudeau and maybe we can get back to being one of the greatest countries in the world again. Well done, sir! Great upload. Big ❤️ from… Sudbury, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦✌️
and Canada still technically a colony since they still used the old british system and they are to this day subject to the British King, which mean the King still got power over canada. which is why harry didnt went there, since as a prince he would automatically be the representative of the crown, over ruling the current ones which are the people that can call elections, dissolve parliament, etc, oh and yes Canada would have to pick the tab, by law
When it came time for the committee to make the final vote for the flag, Diefenbaker and the rest of the Conservatives assumed that the Liberals would vote for Pearson’s flag out of party loyalty, so they voted for the Maple Leaf. However Pearson and the liberals actually like the Maple Leaf more. So in the end the vote for the new flag was actually unanimous.
Change is good, change is refreshing, After 58 years, I can’t say I’ve ever warmed to this flag, so I’m all for taking another flyer at something new, and as long as I’m wishing, let’s start over with a new national anthem as well. It’s value has diminished with all the rejigging of the lyrics so nobody is offended or feels left out.
It used to have two Blue boarders to represent the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, A Green background to represent the land in between, and one single Red maple leaf to represent one people. When the Liberal Prime Minister saw it, he said make it all red. When people see the colours of the Liberal Party they will vote Liberal. Liberal propaganda is built into the Canadian flag from the very beginning. Let’s change it back!
This goes back before the change into Lester B Pearson time, The Liberals where desperate to destroy the Prodestant English vote in Southern Ontario, so the used mass immigration after WW2 to dilute the vote, then they wanted to severe ties with England as WW2 vets would often say “for King and Country” they changed the flag and stopped teaching proper history and started anti-white, anti Anglo policies over the next sixty yrs, quite effectively that now Anglo decendent have no idea of there culture or history!
There are SOOOOOOO many extremely important details that are missing. The origin of the maple leaf symbol, the wrong name of Jacques Cartier’s Flag, what the actual 8:36 “French-style” flag actually is, and so much more. This is a shoddy article that sounds like you merely glossed over a few unverified wiki pages.
interesting history; tedious narrative. My dad was born in BC. Most nights, he sat at the piano and played 1940’s songs by heart…..you knew when he was quitting when he played “the maple leaf forever” which went the way of the old flag. it was lovely song….but i can see why Quebecois would dislike it.
4:28 Lester Pearson had only become PM in 1963, so it wasn’t several years of a Liberal minority govt. 7:05 John Diefenbaker was leader of the Progressive Conservatives, not the Liberals. 0:22 Cabot arrived in 1497, not 79 As a Canadian, I prefer the Red Ensign. It’s more colorful and detailed, and actually pays homage to Canada’s founding British and French heritages with their symbols. The current flag is more bland. I think the Liberals changed the flag as part of the push to multiculturalism, which started as policy in 1971 and has resulted in mass immigratiom from racially and culturally different nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As a result, the Canadian identity has been diluted. I’m not against all immigration, after all I am the son of Mexican immigrants and mostly white, but I recognize that there has to be a limit to maintain demographic stability of the white heritage Canadians (& the First Nations tbf) because Canada as we know it was built by Europeans with European values in a new land.
THE three red maple leaves on white are not quite as historic as you’ve made them out to be.The leaves on the shield in the Canadian coat of arms are officially blazoned as ‘proper’, meaning in their natural colour; and accordingly, until Diefenbaker tweaked the coat of arms in 1957, they were always shown both there and on the flag as green. The idea that King George V made red and white Canada’s national colours seems to be a myth; at least the Deputy Chief Herald of Canada recently scoured the relevant archives and came up with no evidence at all.
Living in Alberta, where we really don’t have Maple Trees around (my neighbor put in a bunch) it sort of represented Eastern Canada to many of us, so eastern power. Alberta with its smaller population relative to Eastern Canada has always felt a bit of a resentment towards federal power being out east. That said, it is a nice flag. Really quite clean, those other flags were a mess. I suppose the obvious compromise would have been a blue strip for Quebec, but there is no way to make everyone happy. I thought there was a version with a beaver? That would have made for a better compromise, but a less clean design.
I am Proud of my Country’s Flag, I was especially pleased to hear that the Conservatives of the Day Hated it, and Still Do. They wanted a different Proposal, but they figured in their Weak Minds, that if they Opposed It, and supported this Proposal, the Liberals would choose the One the Cons REALLY Wanted, but as I said their Weak Minds failed, and We ended up with our Beautiful Red and White Flag, with no Disgusting Tory Blue on it at all.
Diefenbaker was the leader of the PC Progressive CONSERVATIVE party — NOT Liberal – FAR from it! Also, since our Confederation in 1867, Quebec has NEVER seen itself as “Canadian” and has continued to attempt separation ever since — sometimes violently. Not unlike the ongoing issues the US has with its Southern States that never accept they lost the Civil War in 1865 – so it goes with Quebec. The continued placation of them controls the entire country.
Well he makes several mistakes in the first 30 seconds so I didn’t watch any further. The maple trees depicted on the flag are only found naturally on less than 10% of the Canadian landscape. I never saw one until I visited London. The beaver is, or was, found in every province and territory and would have been a universal symbol. The rag doesn’t represent me but then neither does canuckashitholistan. However, a teacher pointed out in the late 1960s that if you consider it looking at the interface between the white and red, it looks like two angry guys bumping heads and shouting at each other. The top point of the leaf is where their foreheads join. It is one of those see it once and you will always see it things. That is canada. The purpose of the change was to appease kweebeck and we all know how well that worked.
Gee there were some God awful designs that I’m glad were never adopted. But for one time in this country, auite sometime ago we adopted something fir Canada that didn’t have British symbols…like crowns, pips or union flags. It is truly Canadian. Sometimes in this country, in our inferiority complex persona, to distinguish ourselves from Americans, (and that is only because we are so much like them), we adopt “British” things and force Canadians to use them against what we find to be natural. Doing this we avoid becoming real Canadians and appear to be Americans trying to be more British. A real conundrum….that is uniquely Canadian.
I am not amused we should have kept the Red Ensign the Canadian flag should contain the Union Jack and the French Fluer des Lits with the maple leaf which represents the English and French founders which led to Canada becoming a country anything else is unacceptable I do not recognise this flag which was rammed through Parliament I’d like to see it removed and burned and replaced with a more appropiate flag!!!🤬💩👎
Can’t believe that the Conservative party of Canada tried to block choosing a new flag for the country. But of course always resistant to any kind of change. However, keeping a colonizer’s flag as your own is typical of their regressive mentality. Canada of course is historically linked to France, Britain and first of all the indigenous peoples but nowadays we’re much more than that, an actual expression of a welcoming, multicultural society, not perfect by any means, but better than most. So a brand new iconic flag is the perfect expression of the Canadian reality. Time for Manitoba and Ontario to get rid of their provincial flags as well. I was born and raised in British Columbia but it’s time to change the name and flag of our province too.
Despise the 64 flag, pandering to separatists whom forgot that their mother country traded their territory for a couple of Caribbean spice islands. Not to mention at the time the canadiens were so fed up with Royal France, that they were willing to trade religion & language for a generation, but as the British government (all aristocrats) all spoke french chose to let things lay & placate, where by a generation later they developed a strong nationale sense which has affected the characteristics of Canada since. But as demographics are changing it’s becoming quite interesting. But don’t forget the Acadians that where expelled, yet made way back and resettled and are still in NB & NS.