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Canada's National flag.

© David Newman

Almost a whole month ago, the 15th of February to be precise, Canadians, from Vancouver to Saint John's, celebrated the 34th anniversary of the official hoisting of the Canadian National Flag. In fact, on February 15th of the year 1965, a red maple leaf on a white square between two vertical red bands was officially replacing the flag commonly known as the "Canadian Red Ensign." The Red Ensign was a flag very similar to that of the provincial flags of Ontario and Manitoba. Although, instead of the Ontario coat of Arms (Green maple leafs with St. George's Cross) or Manitoba's (Buffalo with St. George's Cross) there was the symbols for the four founding people, the English Lions, the Scottish Lions, the Irish Harp and the French Fleurs-de-lis with three red maple leafs.

The first flag of Canada was the Fleur-de-lis, a French flag which obviously contains the Fleur-de-lis, the Symbol of the French Monarchy which is also used on the Quebec provincial Flag. When the French lost New France (A.K.A. Canada) to the British Crown, the Royal Union Flag was flown over the Canadian landscape. The Original Royal Union Flag was a mixture of two British Symbols: the English's Saint George's cross and the Scottish's Saint Andrews' cross. In 1801, the St. Patrick's cross was added to the Royal Union Flag and is known as the Union Jack.

Latter on as a variation of the British's Merchant Marine, a flag that was called "Red Ensign" was unofficially used as the Canadian flag, and was named the "Canadian Red Ensign." This flag evolved throughout the ages since the Canadian version appeared in the late 1800s until it was abolished when the new officially created flag was hoisted for the first time on Parliament Hill in 1965.

The Idea of the flag was Prime Minister Lester Bowles Pearson's (Canada's Prime Minister from 1963 to 1968 and 1957 Nobel Peace prize Winner). But it wasn't the first. A search for a design for a national flag was made in 1925 and again in 1947 but the work was never finished. Pearson's government decided that it was time for a distinctive flag for Canada. A Committee was appointed to chose the flag. House of commons would vote, and the senate would make the final decision.

The red and the white on the flag were chosen because, since 1921, the red and white were official colours of Canada. Jacques St. Cyr designed the Maple leaf (a Canadian symbol for who knows how long and was recommended as Canada's emblem in 1918 by Sir Eugene Fiset) seen on the flag. George Bist made the proportions. Although these people and many more should be credited to the creation of the flag, the official credit goes to a parliamentary committee. The flag, as we know it, was approved by Parliament on December 15, 1964, passed by the Canadian Senate three days latter and was proclaimed by Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II of Canada (in this case) to take effect on the date I mentioned many times.

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