Today, the flag of Canada flies in celebration of Canada Day, the country’s national holiday! Canada Day celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation, which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the British North America Act, 1867, when the three separate colonies of the United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were united into a single dominion within the British Empire called Canada.
Though Canada’s maple leaf flag is ubiquitous today, the design was very controversial when it was selected. After months of debate, consisting of 308 individual speeches, the flag was approved by the House of Commons on December 15, 1964 and by the Senate two days later. Royal Assent was given by Queen Elizabeth II on January 28, 1965. One of the best books on the story of the Maple Leaf flag is “I Stand for Canada” by Rick Archbold.
The Maple Leaf flag also contained a vexillological innovation, the Canadian Pale. When looking at the flag, the white section in the middle occupies 50% of the flag and the two red stripes occupy 25% each. Previous to the Maple Leaf flag, the general design consensus was that vertical stripes should each occupy one third of the flag. The Canadian Pale has become more popular in the past 60 years.
Cruesbreck Flags 