93-490: The Great Canadian flag debate (or Great Flag Debate ) was a national debate that took place in 1963 and 1964 when a new design for the national flag of Canada was chosen. Although the flag debate had been going on for a long time prior, it officially began on June 15, 1964, when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson proposed his plans for a new flag in the House of Commons . The debate lasted more than six months, bitterly dividing
186-609: 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 , 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
279-457: A "concession to Québec". A new all-party committee was formed in September 1964, comprising seven Liberals, five Conservatives, one New Democrat , one Social Crediter , and one Créditiste , with Herman Batten as chairman, while John Matheson acted as Pearson's right-hand man. Among those who gave their opinions to the group was Duguid, expressing the same views as he had in 1945, insisting on
372-533: A committee to design a flag to be used at home, but it was dissolved before the final report could be delivered. Despite the failure of the committee to solve the issue, public sentiment in the 1920s was in favour of fixing the flag problem for Canada. New designs were proposed in 1927, 1931, and 1939. By the Second World War , the Red Ensign was viewed as Canada's de facto national flag. A joint committee of
465-503: A design using three maple leaves; Arthur R. M. Lower , stressing the need for a distinctly Canadian emblem; Marcel Trudel , arguing for symbols of Canada's founding nations, which did not include the maple leaf (a thought shared by Diefenbaker); and A. Y. Jackson , providing his own suggested designs. A steering committee also considered about 2,000 suggestions from the public, in addition to 3,900 others that included, according to Library and Archives Canada , "those that had accumulated in
558-485: A flag designed by historian George Stanley into the mix. The idea came to him while standing in front of the Mackenzie Building of the Royal Military College of Canada , while viewing the college flag flying in the wind. Stanley submitted a March 23, 1964 formal detailed memorandum to Matheson on the history of Canada's emblems, predating Pearson's raising the issue, in which he warned that any new flag "must avoid
651-634: A flag which embodied history and tradition, but he also wanted to excise the Union Jack as a reminder of Canada's heritage and links to the United Kingdom . Hence, the issue was not whether the maple leaf was pre-eminently Canadian, but rather whether the nation should exclude the British-related component from its identity. Diefenbaker led the opposition to the Maple Leaf flag, arguing for the retention of
744-477: A measure which, if accepted by the representatives of the people in Parliament, would, I hope, settle the problem. The Progressive Conservative government of the time, headed by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker , did not accept the invitation to establish a new Canadian flag, so Pearson made it Liberal Party policy in 1961, and part of the party's election platform in the 1962 and 1963 federal elections . During
837-408: A motion to parliament for the adoption of his favourite design, presented to him by artist and heraldic advisor Alan Beddoe , of a "sea to sea" (Canada's motto) flag with blue borders and three conjoined red maple leaves on a white field. This motion led to weeks of acrimonious debate in the House of Commons and the design came to be known as the "Pearson Pennant", derided by the media and viewed as
930-467: A new flag was nicknamed "the Pearson Pennant". Pearson's first design featured the three maple leaves on a white background, with vertical blue bars to either side. Pearson preferred this choice, as the blue bars reflected Canada's motto, "From Sea to Sea". On June 15, 1964, Pearson opened the parliamentary flag debate with a resolution: … to establish officially as the flag of Canada a flag embodying
1023-631: A position of some prominence in New France , with the evolving variations of French military flags being used over time. As the de facto British national flag, the Union Flag (commonly known as the "Union Jack") was used similarly in Canada from the time of British settlement in Nova Scotia after 1621. Its use continued after Canada's legislative independence from the United Kingdom in 1931 until
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#17328516923581116-464: A seventh of the cost offset by donations. 1962 Canadian federal election John Diefenbaker Progressive Conservative John Diefenbaker Progressive Conservative The 1962 Canadian federal election was held on June 18, 1962, to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada of the 25th Parliament of Canada . The governing Progressive Conservative (PC) Party won a plurality of seats in this election, and its majority government
1209-493: A slightly better share of the vote. This was the first election in which all adult Indigenous Canadians had the right to vote after the passage on March 31, 1960 of a repeal of certain sections of the Canada Elections Act . For the first time ever, the entire landmass of Canada was covered by federal electoral districts (the former Mackenzie River riding was expanded to cover the entire Northwest Territories ). This
1302-427: A stylized red maple leaf at its centre. In heraldic terminology, the flag's blazon as outlined on the original royal proclamation is " gules on a Canadian pale argent a maple leaf of the first". The maple leaf has been a Canadian emblem since the 18th century. It was first used as a national symbol in 1868 when it appeared on the coat of arms of both Ontario and Quebec . In 1867, Alexander Muir composed
1395-565: A unique protocol for folding the Canadian flag for presentations, such as during a funeral ceremony; CF does not recommend this method for everyday use. The flag can be displayed on any day at buildings operated by the Government of Canada, airports, military bases, diplomatic offices, and citizens during any time of the day. When flying the flag, it should be flown using its pole and should not be inferior to other flags, save for, in descending order,
1488-411: A victory, for they knew that all previous flag committees had suffered miscarriages. During the next six weeks the committee held 35 lengthy meetings. Thousands of suggestions also poured in from a public engaged in what had become a great Canadian debate about identity and how best to represent it. 3,541 entries were submitted: many contained common elements: At the last minute, John Matheson slipped
1581-677: Is an official Canadian flag and is flown on certain occasions. Regulations require federal installations to fly the Royal Union Flag beside the national flag when physically possible, using a second flagpole, on the following days: Commonwealth Day (the second Monday in March), Victoria Day (the same date as the Canadian sovereign's official birthday ), and the anniversary of the Statute of Westminster (December 11). The Royal Union Flag can also be flown at
1674-537: Is occasionally still used, including official use at some ceremonies. It was flown at the commemorations of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 2007. This decision elicited criticism from those who believed it should not have been given equal status to the Canadian flag and received praise from people who believed that it was important to retain the ties to Canada's past. The Royal Union Flag and Red Ensign are still flown in Canada by veterans' groups and others who continue to stress
1767-412: 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
1860-446: Is used on the flag of British Columbia and the flag of Newfoundland and Labrador . Several of the provincial lieutenant governors formerly used a modified union flag as their standard, but the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia is the only one who retains this design. The Royal Standard of Canada (banner of arms) is an official flag introduced May 6, 2023, and first flown at Government House, Halifax, that day. The Red Ensign
1953-691: The Department of Canadian Heritage and the flag program run by the Department of Public Works . These programs increased the exposure of the flag and the concept that it was part of the national identity. To raise awareness of the new flag, the Parliamentary Flag Program was set up in December 1972 by the Cabinet and, beginning in 1973, allowed members of the House of Commons to distribute flags and lapel pins in
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#17328516923582046-613: The First and Second World Wars , badges of the Canadian forces were often based on a maple leaf design. The maple leaf would eventually adorn the tombstones of Canadian military graves. By proclaiming the Royal Arms of Canada, King George V in 1921 made red and white the official colours of Canada; the former came from Saint George's Cross and the latter from the French royal emblem since King Charles VII . These colours became "entrenched" as
2139-613: The King's standard , the governor general's standard , any of the personal standards of members of the Canadian Royal Family , or flags of the lieutenant governors . The Canadian flag is flown at half-mast in Canada to indicate a period of mourning. Since the Canadian flag was adopted in 1965, the Canadian government has sponsored programs to promote it. Examples include the Canadian Parliamentary Flag Program of
2232-472: The National War Memorial or at other locations during ceremonies that honour Canadian involvement with forces of other Commonwealth nations during times of war. The national flag always precedes the Royal Union Flag, with the former occupying the place of honour. The Royal Union Flag is also part of the provincial flags of Ontario and Manitoba , forming the canton of these flags; a stylized version
2325-576: The Pantone colour specifier can be used when reproducing the flag. For the Federal Identity Program , the red tone of the standard flag has an RGB value of 255–0–0 (web hexadecimal #FF0000). In 1984, the National Flag of Canada Manufacturing Standards Act was passed to unify the manufacturing standards for flags used in both indoor and outdoor conditions. The Flag of Canada is represented as
2418-869: The Red Ensign , with the addition of the Canadian composite shield in the fly, began to be used unofficially on land and sea and was known as the Canadian Red Ensign . As new provinces joined the Confederation, their arms were added to the shield. In 1892, the British admiralty approved the use of the Red Ensign for Canadian use at sea. The composite shield was replaced with the coat of arms of Canada upon its grant in 1921, and in 1924, an Order in Council approved its use for Canadian government buildings abroad. In 1925, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King established
2511-593: The Unicode emoji sequence U+1F1E8 🇨 REGIONAL INDICATOR SYMBOL LETTER C , U+1F1E6 🇦 REGIONAL INDICATOR SYMBOL LETTER A . The Saint George's Cross was carried by John Cabot when he reached the later-named Newfoundland in 1497. In 1534, Jacques Cartier planted a cross in Gaspé bearing the French royal coat of arms with the fleurs-de-lis . The Royal Banner of France or "Bourbon Flag" held
2604-403: The escutcheon of the Canadian coat of arms. By May 9 the following year, the committee reported back with a recommendation "that the national flag of Canada should be the Canadian red ensign with a maple leaf in autumn golden colours in a bordered background of white". The Legislative Assembly of Quebec had urged the committee not to include any of what it deemed as "foreign symbols", including
2697-632: The flag of Quebec instead. Display of the flag is also contentious, with the Quebec provincial government ordering that the Quebec flag be given seniority over the Canadian one in the province, and many Quebec government facilities, such as the Quebec City Hall , the headquarters of the Sûreté du Québec and SAAQ , and the Quebec Parliament , refusing to fly the Canadian flag at all. No law dictates
2790-475: The maple leaf . In April 1963, an opinion poll of 2,262 Canadians found that 52% supported a new national flag for Canada of its own, while 30% preferred using the Union Jack and 18% preferred using the Canadian Red Ensign . There was sharp division, however, between linguistic groups in their preferences. Whereas 90% of Francophones preferred a new national flag, only 35% of Anglophones desired this. Combined,
2883-508: The national colours of Canada upon the proclamation of the Royal Standard of Canada (the Canadian monarch's personal flag) in 1962. The Department of Canadian Heritage has listed the various colour shades for printing ink that should be used when reproducing the Canadian flag; these include: The number of points on the leaf has no special significance; the number and arrangement of the points were chosen after wind tunnel tests showed
Great Canadian flag debate - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-657: The 15-person panel, Liberal Member of Parliament John Matheson , said that they "were asked to produce a flag for Canada and in six weeks!" On September 10, 1964, a committee of 15 Members of Parliament was announced. It was made up of seven Liberals , five Conservatives (PC) and one each from the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Social Credit Party and the Ralliement créditiste . The Committee members were as follows: The Conservatives at first saw this event as
3069-566: 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". 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 . There is no law dictating how the national flag is to be treated, but there are conventions and protocols to guide how it
3162-520: The 50th anniversary of the National Flag of Canada, I am pleased to join with all Canadians in the celebration of this unique and cherished symbol of our country and identity." A commemorative stamp and coin were issued by Canada Post and the Royal Canadian Mint , respectively. As a symbol of the nation's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and allegiance to the Crown , the Royal Union Flag
3255-524: The Canadian Red Ensign. Diefenbaker and his lieutenants mounted a filibuster . The seemingly endless debate raged on in Parliament and the press with no side giving quarter. Pearson forced members of Parliament to stay over the summer, but that did not help. On September 10, 1964, the Prime Minister yielded to the suggestion that the matter be referred to a special flag committee. The key member of
3348-540: The Canadian flag (the Red Ensign) contained the same symbol (the Union Flag) also used as a flag by the United Kingdom, one of the belligerents. Pearson's goal was to create a Canadian flag that was distinctive and unmistakably Canadian. The main opponent to changing the flag was the leader of the opposition and former prime minister, John Diefenbaker , who eventually made the subject a personal crusade. In 1961, Leader of
3441-575: The Commons 163 to 78. Congratulations. I believe it is an excellent flag that will serve Canada well." The Senate added its approval two days later. After the resolutions proposing a new national flag for Canada were passed by the two houses of parliament, a proclamation was drawn up for signature by the Queen of Canada . This was created in the form of an illuminated document on vellum , with calligraphy by Yvonne Diceman and heraldic illustrations. The text
3534-642: The Conservatives launched a filibuster . The debate had become so ugly that the Toronto Star called it "The Great Flag Farce." The debate was prolonged until one of Diefenbaker's own senior members, Léon Balcer , and the Créditiste, Réal Caouette , advised the government to cut off debate by applying closure . Pearson did so, and after some 250 speeches, the final vote adopting the Stanley flag took place at 2:15 on
3627-588: The Department of the Secretary of State and those from a parliamentary flag committee of 1945–1946". Through six weeks of study with political manoeuvring, the committee took a vote on the two finalists: the Pearson Pennant (Beddoe's design) and the current design. Believing the Liberal members would vote for the Prime Minister's preference, the Conservatives voted for the single leaf design. The Liberals, though, all voted for
3720-627: The Liberals to rely on Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces to garner a majority. That pattern would continue until the Tories' demise as a party of government three decades later. The Tories remained in power with the tacit support of the Socreds, as the two parties held enough seats between them to command a parliamentary majority. However, Diefenbaker declined to negotiate a more formal alliance between
3813-488: The Liberals would vote for the Prime Minister's design, the Conservatives backed Stanley. They were outmaneuvered by the Liberals who had agreed with others to choose the Stanley Maple Leaf flag. The Liberals voted for the red and white flag, making the selection unanimous (15–0). While the committee had made its decision, the House of Commons had not. Diefenbaker would not budge, so the debate continued for six weeks as
Great Canadian flag debate - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-518: The Opposition Lester Pearson asked John Ross Matheson to begin researching what it would take for Canada to have a new flag. By April 1963, Pearson was prime minister in a minority government and risked losing power over the issue. He formed a 15-member multi-party parliamentary committee in 1963 to select a new design, despite opposition leader Diefenbaker's demands for a referendum on the issue. On May 27, 1964, Pearson's cabinet introduced
3999-562: The PCs had successfully compensated for that handicap by using the powerful electoral machine of the Union Nationale government under Maurice Duplessis . By 1962, Duplessis was dead and the Union Nationale had been toppled. Nevertheless, many francophone Quebecers remained hostile to the Liberals, and others had not yet warmed to the anglophone Pearson. Additionally, the controversy surrounding
4092-510: The Queen ". Of the flag, Vanier said "[it] will symbolize to each of us—and to the world—the unity of purpose and high resolve to which destiny beckons us". Maurice Bourget , Speaker of the Senate, said: "The flag is the symbol of the nation's unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief, or opinion." Yet there was still opposition to
4185-572: The RMC flag should form the basis of the national flag. The suggestion was followed by Stanley's memorandum of March 23, 1964, on the history of Canada's emblems, in which he warned that any new flag "must avoid the use of national or racial symbols that are of a divisive nature" and that it would be "clearly inadvisable" to create a flag that carried the Union Flag or a fleur-de-lis. According to Matheson, Pearson's "paramount and desperate objective" in introducing
4278-542: The Senate and House of Commons was appointed on November 8, 1945, to recommend a national flag to officially adopt. It received 2,409 designs from the public and was addressed by the director of the Historical Section of the Canadian Army, Archer Fortescue Duguid , who pointed out that red and white were Canada's official colours and there was already an emblem representing the country: three joined maple leaves seen on
4371-496: The Union Flag, and Mackenzie King, then still prime minister, declined to act on the report; fearing it may lead to political instability. As a result, the Union Flag was kept as a national flag, and the order to fly the Canadian Red Ensign at government buildings was maintained. By the 1960s, the debate for an official Canadian flag intensified and became controversial, culminating in the Great Flag Debate of 1964. In 1963,
4464-403: The Union Jack and Red Ensign commanded the support of 65% of English Canadians. From his office as leader of the opposition , Lester Pearson issued a press release on January 27, 1960, in which he summarized the problem and presented his suggestion as: ... Canadian Government taking full responsibility as soon as possible for finding a solution to the flag problem, by submitting to Parliament
4557-465: The Union Jack in its top portion, was introduced in 1960 and is actually based on the shield of the provincial coat of arms , which dates back to 1906. Flag of Canada The National Flag of Canada ( French : Drapeau national du Canada ), 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
4650-512: The Union Jack over Parliament , where it remained until the re-emergence of the Red Ensign in the 1920s. William Lyon Mackenzie King tried to adopt a new Canadian national flag in 1925 and 1946, having received a recommendation that came back as a Red Ensign design that replaced the coat of arms of Canada with a gold maple leaf in 1946. However, ongoing fears that the change might lead to political instability resulted in Mackenzie King shelving
4743-399: The adoption of the current flag in 1965. Shortly after Canadian Confederation in 1867, the need for distinctive Canadian flags emerged. The first Canadian flag was then used as the flag of the governor general of Canada , a Union Flag with a shield in the centre bearing the quartered arms of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, surrounded by a wreath of maple leaves. In 1870,
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#17328516923584836-499: The afternoon of December 15, the Commons also voted in favour of continued use of the Union Flag as an official flag to symbolize Canada's allegiance to the Crown and its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations . Senate approval followed on December 17, 1964. The Union Jack, or the "Royal Union Flag", as it would be officially termed in the parliamentary resolution, would be put alongside the new flag at federal government buildings, federally-operated airports, military installations, at
4929-601: The cancellation of the Avro Arrow . Despite the Diefenbaker government's difficulties, the Liberal Party , led by Lester B. Pearson , was unable to make up enough ground in the election to defeat the government. For Social Credit , routed from the Commons just four years earlier, this election proved to be their most successful ever since they would never better the 30 seats won; for example, they lost seats in 1963 despite gaining
5022-421: The centre. 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 . 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
5115-486: The change, and Stanley's life was even threatened for having "assassinated the flag". Despite this, Stanley attended the flag-raising ceremony. At the time of the 50th anniversary of the flag in 2015, the government—held by the Conservative Party —was criticized for the lack of an official ceremony dedicated to the date; accusations of partisanship were levelled. Minister of Canadian Heritage Shelly Glover denied
5208-532: The charges, and others, including Liberal Members of Parliament, pointed to community events taking place around the country. Governor General David Johnston did, though, preside at an official ceremony at Confederation Park in Ottawa , integrated with Winterlude . He said, "[t]he National Flag of Canada is so embedded in our national life and so emblematic of our national purpose that we simply cannot imagine our country without it." Queen Elizabeth II stated: "On this,
5301-578: The country, and is considered the NDP's (and Douglas') major contribution to the Canadian social fabric. Social Credit returned to the House of Commons after being shut out in the 1958 election. While leader Robert N. Thompson and three other Socreds were elected in the party's traditional base in western Canada, the party's real success came in Quebec . Réal Caouette led the party's Quebec wing to victory in 26 ridings. Indeed, their win of 30 seats overall represented
5394-528: The current design to be the least blurry of the various designs when tested under high-wind conditions. The image of the maple leaf used on the flag was designed by Jacques Saint-Cyr; Jack Cook claims that this stylized eleven-point maple leaf was lifted from a copyrighted design owned by a Canadian craft shop in Ottawa. The colours 0/100/100/0 in the CMYK process, PMS 032 (flag red 100%), or PMS 485 (used for screens) in
5487-415: The devaluation affected the price of bread, beef, gasoline and fruit and vegetables, saying that these prices were either set in Canada or were influenced by other factors. The Liberals campaigned under the slogan, "Take a stand for tomorrow," and attempted to portray the Diefenbaker government as "feeble," with a divided cabinet. The Liberals criticized the PCs for their "reckless mismanagement of finances,"
5580-423: The document was flown to the United Kingdom (for the Queen's royal sign-manual ) and to the Caribbean (for the signature of Favreau, who was on vacation). This transport to different climates, combined with the quality of the materials with which the proclamation was created and the subsequent storage and repair methods (including the use of Scotch Tape ), contributed to the deterioration of the document: The gouache
5673-557: The election campaign of 1963, Pearson promised that Canada would have a new flag within two years of his election. No previous party leader had ever gone as far as Pearson did, by putting a time limit on finding a new national flag for Canada. The 1963 election brought the Liberals back to power, but with a minority government. In February 1964, a three-leaf design was leaked to the press. At the 20th Royal Canadian Legion Convention in Winnipeg on May 17, 1964, Pearson faced an unsympathetic audience of Canadian Legionnaires and told them that
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#17328516923585766-401: The emblem proclaimed by His Majesty King George V on November 21, 1921 — three maple leaves conjoined on one stem — in the colours red and white then designated for Canada, the red leaves occupying a field of white between vertical sections of blue on the edges of the flag. The flag proposed by Pearson, referred to as "the Pearson Pennant", was designed by Alan Beddoe. Pearson sought to produce
5859-419: The flag "looked bold and clean, and distinctively our own." The Canadian Red Ensign itself can sometimes be seen today in Canada, often in connection to veterans' associations. On the other hand, Newfoundland used the Union Jack as its provincial flag from 1952 until 1980; the blue triangles on the new flag adopted in 1980 are meant as a tribute to the Union Jack. British Columbia 's flag , which features
5952-433: The formal flag for various colonies in British North America , and remained as the formal national flag of Canada from Confederation to 1965. However, from the late 19th century to 1965, the civil ensign for Canada, the Canadian Red Ensign , was also used as an unofficial national flag and symbol for Canada. The first Canadian Red Ensigns were used in Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald 's time. The Governor General at
6045-411: The government's wordmark . The flag is horizontally symmetric, so the obverse and reverse sides appear identical. The width of the Maple Leaf flag is twice the height. The white field is a Canadian pale (a central band occupying half the width of a vertical triband flag , rather than a third of the width, named for its use in this flag); each bordering red field is exactly half its size and it bears
6138-411: The importance of Canada's British heritage and the Commonwealth connection. In Quebec , the provincial flag (a white cross on a field of blue with four fleurs-de-lis ) can be considered a national flag along with the Maple Leaf flag, as is the Acadian flag in the Acadian regions of the Maritime provinces . Public display of Canadian flags is rare in Quebec, with most Quebecers preferring to fly
6231-470: The masthead of Royal Canadian Navy ships within Canadian waters, and at other appropriate establishments on Commonwealth Day , Victoria Day (the monarch's official birthday in Canada), 11 December (the anniversary of the enactment of the Statute of Westminster 1931 ), and when otherwise instructed to do so by the National Defence Headquarters . The flag was inaugurated on February 15, 1965, at an official ceremony held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in
6324-446: The minority Liberal government of Lester B. Pearson gained power and decided to adopt an official Canadian flag through parliamentary debate. The principal political proponent of the change was Pearson. He had been a significant broker during the Suez Crisis of 1956, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize . During the crisis, Pearson was disturbed when the Egyptian government objected to Canadian peacekeeping forces because
6417-481: The morning of December 15, 1964, with Balcer and the other francophone Conservatives swinging behind the Liberals. The committee's recommendation was accepted 163 to 78. At 2:00 AM, immediately after the successful vote, Matheson wrote to Stanley: "Your proposed flag has just now been approved by the Commons 163 to 78. Congratulations. I believe it is an excellent flag that will serve Canada well." Diefenbaker, however, called it "a flag by closure, imposed by closure." On
6510-427: The new Liberal provincial government's radical agenda of the Quiet Revolution badly hurt the Liberal brand in rural Quebec. Nevertheless, while the Liberals actually lost significant vote share in Quebec (they scored more than six percentage points less compared to 1958), the split in the centre-right vote meant they still managed a plurality there both in popular vote and seats. The Liberals actually gained ten seats in
6603-519: The new flag was keeping Quebec in Canada. It was Stanley's idea that the new flag should be red and white and that it should feature the single maple leaf; his memorandum included the first sketch of what would become the flag of Canada. Stanley and Matheson collaborated on a design that was, after six months of debate and 308 speeches, passed by a majority vote in the House of Commons on December 15, 1964. Just after this, at 2:00 am, Matheson wrote to Stanley: "Your proposed flag has just now been approved by
6696-534: The old Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the Canadian Labour Congress . The party chose longtime Premier of Saskatchewan Tommy Douglas as its first leader. The new party recovered ground lost by the CCF in the 1958 federal election , when it was nearly wiped out. It won almost 50% more votes than the CCF had ever managed, but it failed to achieve the major breakthrough that had been hoped for when
6789-472: The other four locations (one on each side of Centre Block and one each over East and West Blocks), which are 1.4 by 2.7 metres (4.5 by 9 ft). Since 1996, February 15 has been commemorated as National Flag of Canada Day . In 1996, Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps instituted the One in a Million National Flag Challenge. Canadian Heritage put the expenses at $ 15.5 million, with approximately
6882-613: The party was created. The NDP was shut out in Saskatchewan , its political base, where Douglas failed to win his own seat. Douglas's campaign was hurt by chaos in Saskatchewan brought about by the introduction of Medicare and a resulting strike by the province's doctors. Douglas was forced to enter the House of Commons through a by-election in British Columbia . Despite the initial problems, Medicare proved popular, spread throughout
6975-450: The party's greatest federal showing ever. They would never again equal, let alone surpass, that number—though the party gained its highest share of the vote in the 1963 election (1962 being its second-highest by a very close margin), it had a net loss of six seats. The Socreds' success in Quebec was the result of several factors. Diefenbaker's poor French impaired the Tories' ability to communicate their message to francophone voters. In 1958,
7068-534: The patriotic song " The Maple Leaf Forever ", which became an unofficial anthem in English-speaking Canada. The maple leaf was later added to the Canadian coat of arms in 1921. From 1876 until 1901, the leaf appeared on all Canadian coins and remained on the penny after 1901. The use of the maple leaf by the Royal Canadian Regiment as a regimental symbol extended back to 1860. During
7161-408: The people in the process. The debate over the proposed new Canadian flag was ended by closure on December 15, 1964. It resulted in the adoption of the " Maple Leaf " as the Canadian national flag, which remains the official national flag of Canada. The flag was inaugurated on February 15, 1965, a date that has been commemorated as National Flag of Canada Day since 1996. The Union Jack served as
7254-517: The presence of Governor General Major-General Georges Vanier , the prime minister, the members of the Cabinet, and Canadian parliamentarians. Also throughout Canada, at the United Nations in New York City , and at Canadian legations and on Canadian ships throughout the world, the Canadian Red Ensign was lowered and the Maple Leaf flag was raised. As journalist George Bain wrote of the occasion,
7347-473: The project. A compromise was reached where the Canadian government would fly the Canadian Red Ensign as a "distinctive Canadian flag" on government buildings, but maintain the Union Jack as the national flag. In 1958, an extensive poll was taken of the attitudes that adult Canadians held toward the flag. Of those who expressed opinions, over 80 per cent wanted a national flag entirely different from that of any other nation, and 60 per cent wanted their flag to bear
7440-484: The proper use of the Canadian flag. Canadian Heritage has released rules for flying the National Flag of Canada alone and with other flags. The rules deal with the order of precedence in which the Canadian flag is placed, where the flag can be used, how it is used, and what people should do to honour the flag. The suggestions, titled National Flag of Canada Etiquette, were published by Canadian Heritage online and last updated in 24 February 2022. Canadian Forces also have
7533-400: The province, despite the decline in vote share. In the end, despite their large losses the Tories' major saving grace was that the Liberals were all but invisible in the west, winning only seven seats west of Ontario. This election thereby began a pattern of the Tories dominating the provinces west of Ontario by large margins (with only occasional breakthroughs by the Liberals and NDP), forcing
7626-413: The shape of the Canadian flag to their constituents. Full-size flags that have been flown on Peace Tower and four other locations on Parliament Hill are packaged by the Department of Public Works and offered to the public free of charge. As of March 2019, the program has a waiting list of over 100 years for both Peace Tower flags, which are 2.3 by 4.6 metres (7.5 by 15 ft) in size, and for flags from
7719-555: The single leaf design, as did the members from the other two parties, giving a unanimous 15 to 0 vote for the option created by George Stanley and inspired by the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario . There, near the parade square, in March 1964, while viewing the college flag atop the Mackenzie Building, Stanley, then RMC's Dean of Arts, first suggested to Matheson, then Member of Parliament for Leeds, that
7812-405: The slowdown in the Canadian economy, a lack of confidence in government policies, job losses, and a lower standard of living than in 1956. The Liberals also argued that the steep devaluation in the Canadian dollar was increasing the cost of living for Canadians. The 1962 election was the first contested by the social democratic New Democratic Party , which had been formed from an alliance between
7905-519: The time had come to replace the Canadian Red Ensign with a distinctive maple leaf flag. The Royal Canadian Legion and the Canadian Corps Association wanted to make sure that the new flag would include the Union Jack as a sign of Canadian ties to the United Kingdom and to other Commonwealth countries, such as Australia and New Zealand , that use the Union Jack in the quarter of their national flag. Lester Pearson's preferred choice for
7998-559: The time of Macdonald's death, Lord Stanley , wrote to London in 1891: ... the Dominion Government has encouraged by precept and example the use on all public buildings throughout the provinces of the Red Ensign with the Canadian badge on the fly... [which] has come to be considered as the recognized flag of the Dominion, both ashore and afloat. Under pressure from pro-imperial public opinion, Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier raised
8091-449: The two parties, which would ultimately prove costly and helped lead to the fall of his government the following year. Voter turn-out was 79.0%. Notes: * Party did not nominate candidates in previous election. x - less than 0.005% of the popular vote. compared to Co-operative Commonwealth Federation results from previous election. compared to Labor-Progressive Party results from previous election. xx - less than 0.05% of
8184-551: The use of national or racial symbols that are of a divisive nature" and that it would be "clearly inadvisable" to create a flag that carried either a Union Jack or a Fleur-de-lis. The design put forward had a single red maple leaf on a white plain background, flanked by two red borders, based on the design of the flag of the Royal Military College. The voting was held on October 22, 1964, when the committee's final contest pitted Pearson's pennant against Stanley's. Assuming that
8277-455: The vellum from changing dimensionally. The new national flag was inaugurated on February 15, 1965, at an official ceremony held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in the presence of Governor General Major-General Georges Vanier , the Prime Minister, other members of the Cabinet, and Canadian parliamentarians. The Red Ensign was lowered at the stroke of noon, and the new maple leaf flag was raised. The crowd sang " O Canada " followed by " God Save
8370-408: Was also the first general election contested by the New Democratic Party . During its term of office, the Diefenbaker government had introduced reforms to social programs, a Canadian Bill of Rights , and other changes. The Tories tried to defend the decline in the Canadian dollar by pointing out the benefits to the tourism industry, exports, manufacturing and farming, and employment. They denied that
8463-512: Was flaking off, leaving gaps in the heraldic designs, most conspicuously on the red maple leaf of the flag design in the centre of the sheet, and the adhesive from the tape had left stains. A desire to have the proclamation as part of a display at the Canadian Museum of Civilization marking the flag's 25th anniversary led to its restoration in 1989. The proclamation is today stored in a temperature and humidity-controlled plexiglass case to prevent
8556-419: Was reduced to a minority government . When the election was called, PC Prime Minister John Diefenbaker had governed for four years with the largest majority until then in the House of Commons in Canadian history. This election reduced the PCs to a tenuous minority government as a result of economic difficulties such as high unemployment and a slumping Canadian dollar, as well as unpopular decisions such as
8649-453: Was rendered in black ink, using a quill , while the heraldic elements were painted in gouache with gilt highlights. The Great Seal of Canada was embossed and secured by a silk ribbon. This parchment was signed discreetly by the calligrapher but was made official by the signatures of Queen Elizabeth II (given on January 28, 1965 ), Prime Minister Lester Pearson , and Attorney General Guy Favreau . In order to obtain these signatures,
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