Today, I’m reviving a series that I’ve done a couple of times called “Countdown to Canada Day.” Canada’s national holiday, called Canada Day (Fête du Canada) is celebrated on annually on July 1st. I will move from east to west, flying different provincial and territorial flags each day. My apologies to the Province of Manitoba and to the Northwest and Yukon Territories, as I con’t have your flags to fly!
The flags flown today are Atlantic Canada, the maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island along with the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Canada’s easternmost province is Newfoundland and Labrador. The flag of Newfoundland and Labrador also flies today. The flag, which resembles the Union Flag, which was the province’s flag from 1931 to 1980.
Each of the four colors on the flag is representative of the province:
- White is representative of snow and ice;
- Blue represents the Sea;
- Red represents human effort; and
- Gold our confidence in ourselves.
Wikipedia describes the flag of Nova Scotia, which was created in 1858, thusly, “The flag of the modern Canadian province, a blue saltire on a white field (background), is a simple figure-ground reversal of the flag of Scotland (a white saltire, Saint Andrew‘s cross, on a blue field), charged with an inescutcheon bearing the royal arms of Scotland, a gold shield with a red lion rampant surrounded by a loyal double tressure (a double border decorated with fleurs de lis).”
The upper third of the flag of Prince Edward Island features the English heraldic lion which appeared both on the coat of arms of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, for whom the province is named, and on that of King Edward VII. The lower two-thirds show an island on which appear three small oak saplings (on the left) – representing the three counties of PEI (Prince, Queens, and Kings) – under the protection of a great oak tree which represents Great Britain. This symbolism is also reflected in the provincial motto, Parva sub ingenti (the small under the protection of the great).
The flag of New Brunswick consists of a golden lion passant on a red field in the upper third and a gold field defaced with a lymphad on top of blue and white wavy lines in the bottom two-thirds. Adopted in 1965 shortly after the new national flag was inaugurated, it has been the flag of the Canadian province since February 24 of that year. It is a banner of arms modeled after the province’s coat of arms.
Cruesbreck Flags 