1957 version of the Canadian Red Ensign that had evolved as the de facto national flag until 1965.

National Flag of Canada, (1965-Present)

The Canadian Great Flag Debate took place in 1964 when a new design for the national flag was chosen. The Great Flag Debate began on 15 June 1964, when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson tabled his plans for a new flag in the House of Commons. It lasted more than six months, bitterly dividing the people. The debate over the proposed new Canadian Flag ended by closure on 15 December 1964. It resulted in the adoption of the "Maple Leaf flag" as the Canadian national flag. Image File history File links Canadian_Red_Ensign. ... Image File history File links Canadian_Red_Ensign. ... The Canadian Red Ensign, this design was used from 1957 until 1965. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 (1965–Present) The National Flag of Canada, popularly known as the Maple Leaf Flag (French: lUnifolié the one-leaved), is a base red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a red stylized 11-pointed maple leaf. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Stephen Harper is the current Prime Minister of Canada. ... The Right Honourable Lester Bowles Mike Pearson, PC, CC, OM, OBE, MA, LL.D (April 23, 1897 – December 27, 1972) was a Canadian statesman, diplomat and politician who was made a Nobel Laureate in 1957. ... The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 (1965–Present) The National Flag of Canada, popularly known as the Maple Leaf Flag (French: lUnifolié the one-leaved), is a base red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a red stylized 11-pointed maple leaf. ...

Prelude

An 1891 election poster featuring Macdonald and the Red Ensign

For much of its post-Confederation history, Canada had used the British Union Flag (Union Jack) as its official national flag, with the Canadian Red Ensign as a popularly recognized specifically Canadian variant. Image File history File links Macdonaldoldflag. ... Image File history File links Macdonaldoldflag. ... We dont have an article called Canadian-confederation Start this article Search for Canadian-confederation in. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag or Union Jack is the flag most commonly associated with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and was also used throughout the former British Empire. ... The Canadian Red Ensign, this design was used from 1957 until 1965. ...

The first Canadian Red Ensigns were used in Sir John A. Macdonald's time. The Governor General at the time of Macdonald's death, Lord Stanley, wrote to London in 1891: The Right Honourable Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, QC (January 11, 1815 - June 6, 1891) was the first Prime Minister of Canada from July 1, 1867 - November 5, 1873 - and - October 17, 1878 - June 6, 1891. ... Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, KG, GCB, GCVO, PC (15 January 1841–14 June 1908) was Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. ...

... 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 ... [Red Ensign] has come to be considered as the recognized flag of the Dominion, both ashore and afloat.

Under pressure from pro-imperial public opinion, Sir Wilfrid Laurier raised the Union Flag over Parliament, where it remained until the reemergence of the Red Ensign in the 1920s. In 1945, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, having flown the Union Jack over Parliament throughout the war, made the Canadian Red Ensign the official Canadian flag by Order-in-Council. Laurier re-directs here. ... William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, LLB, PhD, MA, BA (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921, to June 28, 1926; September 25, 1926, to August 7, 1930; and October 23, 1935, to November 15, 1948. ... An Order-in-Council is an executive order issued in Commonwealth Realms operating under the Westminster system. ...

In 1958, an extensive poll was taken of the attitudes that adult Canadians held toward the flag. Of those who expressed opinions, over 80% wanted a national flag entirely different than that of any other nation, and 60% wanted their flag to bear the maple leaf. Maple leaves in fall The maple leaf is a leaf of the maple tree and is a national symbol of Canada. ...

From his office as leader of the opposition, Pearson issued a press release on 27 January 1960 in which he summarized the problem and presented his suggestion as: January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

... Canadian Government taking full responsibility as soon as possible for finding a solution to the flag problem, by submitting to Parliament a measure which, if accepted by the representatives of the people in Parliament, would, I hope, settle the problem.

Lester Pearson's preferred choice for a new flag was nicknamed "the Pearson Pennant"

The Diefenbaker government of the day did not accept the invitation to establish a new Canadian flag, so Pearson made it Liberal Party policy in 1961, and part of the election platform in 1962 and 1963. During 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 election of the spring of 1963 brought the Liberals back to power, but with a minority government. After the election the pressure to keep the current or to choose a new flag started to build. In February 1964, a three-leaf design was leaked to the press. At the 20th Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) Convention in Winnipeg on May 17, 1964, Pearson faced an unsympathetic audience of Canadian Legionnaires and told them that the time had come to replace the red ensign with a distinctive maple leaf flag. The Royal Canadian Legion, as well as 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. Image File history File links Canada_Pearson_Pennant_1964. ... Image File history File links Canada_Pearson_Pennant_1964. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party positioned around the centre of the political spectrum, combining a generally progressive social policy with moderate economics. ... The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian veterans organization founded in 1925 with more than 400,000 members worldwide. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Established: {{{Established}}} Area: 465. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ...

Parliamentary debate starts on June 15, 1964

During the Great Flag Debate, Canadians submitted thousands of designs for a new flag.

On June 15, 1964, Pearson opened the parliamentary flag debate with a resolution: Image File history File links PotentialCanadianFlags. ... Image File history File links PotentialCanadianFlags. ...

... to establish officially as the flag of Canada a flag embodying 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.

Pearson sought to produce a flag which embodied history and tradition, but he also thought that time had come for Canada to cut the umbilical cord of the banner of the United Kingdom. So the issue wasn't whether the maple leaf was pre-eminently Canadian, but whether the nation was pre-eminently Canadian.

Diefenbaker led the opposition to the Maple Leaf flag arguing for the retention of the Canadian Red Ensign. Diefenbaker and his traditionalist lieutenants mounted a filibuster. The seemingly endless debate raged 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. Then on September 10, the Prime Minister yielded to the suggestion that the matter be referred to a special flag committee. The key member of the 15-person panel, Liberal MP John Matheson recalled, "... we were asked to produce a flag for Canada and in six weeks!" In a legislature or other decision making body, a filibuster is an attempt to extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage. ... The Honourable John Ross Matheson, OC , CD , QC , LL.M. , LL.D. (born November 14, 1917) is a former Canadian politician who helped develop both the maple leaf flag and the Order of Canada. ...

Special flag committee September 10, 1964

Flag of the Royal Military College of Canada

"Group C" finalist considered by Parliamentary committee

On September 10, 1964, a committee of 15 Members of Parliament was appointed. It was made up of seven Liberals, five Conservatives and one each from the NDP, the Social Credit Party and the Ralliement Creditiste. The Conservatives at first saw this event as a victory, for they knew that all previous flag committees had suffered miscarriages. During the next six weeks the committee held 35 tormenting 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. Flag of the Royal Military College of Canada File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Flag of the Royal Military College of Canada File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Canada_flag_Group_C_Finalist. ... Image File history File links Canada_flag_Group_C_Finalist. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ...

3,541 entries were submitted: many contained common elements:

• 2,136 contained maple leaves,
• 408 contained Union Jacks,
• 389 contained beavers, and
• 359 contained Fleur-de-lys.

At the last minute, Matheson slipped a flag designed by historian George Stanley into the mix. It had a single red maple leaf on a white plain, flanked by two red borders, influenced by the design of the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada. The voting was held on October 22, 1964, when the committee’s final contest pitted Pearson’s pennant against Stanley’s. Assuming that the Liberals would vote for the Prime Minister’s design, the Conservatives backed Stanley. They were manoeuvred 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 (14 - 0). Species with pages written Acer campestre - Field Maple Acer grandidentatum - Bigtooth Maple Acer griseum - Paperbark Maple Acer macrophyllum - Bigleaf Maple Acer micranthum - Komine Maple Acer negundo - Manitoba Maple Acer nigrum - Black Maple Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple Acer pensylvanicum - Striped Maple Acer platanoides - Norway Maple Acer pseudoplatanus - Sycamore Maple Acer rubrum... Species C. canadensis C. fiber Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe. ... Fleur de Lys is a Canadian superheroine created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. ... The Flag of Canada Colonel The Honourable George Francis Gillman Stanley, C.C., C.D., F.R.S.C. (July 6, 1907 - September 13, 2002) was an historian, author, soldier, teacher, public servant, and designer of the current Canadian flag. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ...

House of Commons

Prime Minister Lester Pearson shows the Press the agreed-to design.

The committee had made its decision, but not the House of Commons. Still Diefenbaker would not budge, so the debate staggered on for six weeks as the Conservatives launched a filibuster. 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 the morning of December 15, with Balcer and the other francophone Conservatives swinging behind the Liberals. The committee's recommendation was accepted 163 to 78. On the afternoon of December 15, the House of Commons had also voted in favour of continued use of the Union Flag as a symbol of Canada's allegiance to the Crown and its membership in the British Commonwealth. Senate approval followed on December 17. The "Royal Union Flag", as it would be officially termed, would be put alongside the new flag on days of Commonwealth significance. Image File history File links Pearsonflag. ... Image File history File links Pearsonflag. ... In a legislature or other decision making body, a filibuster is an attempt to extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage. ... In parliamentary procedure, cloture (pr: KLO-cher) (also called closure) is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of 53 independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Aftermath

On Christmas Eve 1964, Queen Elizabeth II approved the Maple Leaf flag. She signed the Royal Proclamation on January 28, 1965, when both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition were in London attending the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill. Elizabeth II (née Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is Queen of sixteen independent nations known as the Commonwealth Realms (and has previously been Queen of sixteen others). ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... The Rth Hon. ...

The 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 P. Vanier, the prime minister, the members of the Cabinet, and Canadian parliamentarians. Also throughout Canada and at Canadian legations and on Canadian ships throughout the world, the Canadian Red Ensign was lowered and the Maple Leaf flag was raised. February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Centre Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada Parliament Hill, officially known in French as Colline du Parlement, is a scenic location on the banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Canada. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Established: {{{Established}}} Area: 2,778. ... The Governor General of Canada (French: Gouverneure générale du Canada or Gouverneur général du Canada) is the representative of the Canadian monarch. ... Major-General Georges-Philéas Vanier (April 23, 1888 - March 5, 1967) was a Canadian diplomat who was Governor General of Canada from 1959 to 1967. ...

Despite the preceding acrimony, the new flag was largely quickly embraced by the public as a distinctive emblem of Canada. This would not be the case for Diefenbaker, however: In accordance with his will, at his funeral the Ensign was placed over the Maple Leaf flag on his casket.

Since 1996, February 15 has been commemorated as National Flag of Canada Day. National Flag of Canada Day, informally known as Flag Day, is celebrated on February 15 in Canada, commemorating the first time that the flag flew on Parliment Hill in Ottawa. ...

See also

• Australian flag debate
• New Zealand flag debate

The current Australian flag The Australian flag debate is in connection with the issue of republicanism in Australia, there has been a low-key but persistent debate over whether or not the Australian flag should be changed in order to remove the Union Flag from the canton. ... Flag ratio: 1:2 The current Flag of New Zealand is a defaced blue ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, and four red stars with white borders to the right. ...

Sources

• Canadian Encyclopedia
• The Flags of Canada, by Alistair B. Fraser.
• Canada, flag proposals
• Dr. George F.G. Stanley's Flag Memorandum, 23 March 1964

External links

• Video clip
• CBC videos
• Story of the Red Ensign
• Royal Proclamation (Pdf)

Bibliography

• Albinski, H.S. (1967) "Politics and biculturalism in Canada: The flag debate". Australian Journal of Politics and History, 13. 169-188.
• Band, C.P. & Stovel, E.L. (1925) Our Flag: A Concise Illustrated History. Toronto, ON: Musson Book Co.
• Canada House of Commons. (1964) December 14, 1964 Session. Debates. 11075-11086.
  • Pearson's speech of June 15, 1964 can be found in its entirety in the Canada: House of Commons Debates, IV (1964), pp. 4306-4309, 4319-26
• Diefenbaker, J.G. (1977) The Tumultuous Years 1962-1967 in One Canada: Memoirs of the Right Honourable John G. Diefenbaker. Scarborough, ON: Macmillan. V.3.
• Fraser, A.B. (1991) "A Canadian flag for Canada". Journal of Canadian Studies, v.25. 64-79.
• Fraser, A.B. "The Flags of Canada". http://fraser.cc/FlagsCan/index.html
• Granatstein, J.L. (1986) Canada: 1957-1967: The Years of Uncertainty and Innovation. Toronto, ON: McClelland and Stewart.
• Kelly, K. (1964) "Closure Day in Parliament: Flag debate may die in Commons, revive in Senate". Chronicle Herald Dec. 15, 1964. 1, 6.
• Matheson, J.R. "Lester Pearson and the flag, 1960-1964" in Canada’s Flag: A Search for a Country http://collections.ic.gc.ca/flag/html/contents.htm
• Stanley, G.F.G. (1965) The Story of Canada's Flag; A Historical Sketch. Toronto: Ryerson Press.