There Canada flag It is one of the most recognizable in the world: it presents a design red with a square white at the center, on which one stands out maple leaf At eleven points, also red. Despite its simplicity, this flag was at the center of numerous national debates at the time of its formalization, which occurred only in 1965. But why did you choose a maple leaf? And which flag was used before?
The meaning of the maple leaf on the Canadian flag
The most distinctive element of the Canadian flag is one red maple leaf on a white field. It is a rather rooted symbol in Canadian culture, even if you think that at first Canada was not famous for its maple forests but … for the bead. However, after the arrival of the first European settlers, the imposing maple forests on the eastern coast of the country captured their attention, both for the characteristic color of the leaves, and for the sweet syrup that could be obtained from these plants.
Consequently, the maple leaf gradually became an increasingly distinctive sign of the country, symbolically associated with its resilience And wealth.
The popularity of the leaf increased dramatically when it was depicted on the pins posted on the hats of the Canadian Expeditionary force during the First World War. This allowed her to become an identity symbol at the end of the conflict, embodying pride and unity, and pushing the then English rulers to include it in the national flag starting from 1921.
Brief history of the Canadian flag
The Canada – as a colony – for a long time used the flags of the respective colonizing countries, that is, the French one for the territories of the New France and the English Union Jack for those of the British North America.
From 1871 he began to be used in a non-officer way (if not for the navy) the Canadian Red Ensign that inside it reported not only the English flag but also the coat of arms of the Canadian territories – updated in 1921 with the addition of green maple leaves in its lower part.
Over time Canada began to increasingly increase the desire for a new flag and for this reason in 1925 and in 1946 Parliament established commissions to draw a new one … but the project was set aside on both opportunities for fear of creating problems on a diplomatic level with English rulers. For this reason the official flag remained only the Union Jack.
Things began to change in 1957, When the maple leaves on the Red Ensign they were colored of redand even more in the 1964, When at national level there was a highly accepted debate on the adoption of a new flag. The Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson In fact, he finally managed to create a parliamentary commission to select a new national symbol.
After the Second World War, in fact, two factions were formed: those who had fought in the war for the United Kingdom were in favor of maintaining the flag in progress, while the remaining part of the population would have liked a new symbol who affirmed a national unity. At the end of a long selection, three different design were identified:
The October 22, 1964 The first was chosen as a winning model. After being slightly modified in color and proportions, it was officially recognized by Queen Elizabeth II on January 28, 1965 and hoisted on the Canadian parliament on February 15th of the same year.
