Symbols
Official symbols of Canada include the maple leaf, beaver, and common loon. Many official symbols of the country such as the Flag of Canada have been changed or modified over the past few decades in order to 'Canadianize' them and de-emphasise or remove references to the United Kingdom. Symbols of the monarchy in Canada continue to be featured in, for example, the Coat of Arms of Canada and armed forces Her Majesty's Canadian Ship. The designation 'Royal' remains for institutions as varied as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, though with the 1968 unification of the three armed forces into the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy ceased to exist. However, certain Canadian Forces Land Force Command (army) units carry "Royal" titles, Canadian Forces Maritime Command vessels are still styled "HMCS" and Canadian Forces Air Command squadrons still use a Royal Air Force-derived badge surmounted by the Queen's Crown as their official crests.
Aboriginal influences
There were, and are, many distinct Aboriginal peoples across Canada, each with its own culture, beliefs, values, language, and history. Much of this legacy remains celebrated artistically, and in other ways, in Canada to this day. Part of the emblem of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics is an inukshuk, a stack of rocks in human form that is a part of Inuit culture, although this is seen as inapproprite by many Vancouverites.
Multicultural Elements
Multiculturalism is contributing and shaping Canadian culture, which is post-ethnic and trans-national in character.
Flag of Canada
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Flag of Canada |
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The National Flag of Canada, popularly known as the Maple Leaf and l'Unifolié (Frenchfor "the one-leaved"), is a base redflagwith a white square in its centre featuring a stylized, 11-pointed, redmaple leaf. Before this flag,Canadaused variants of theBritishRed Ensignwith the shield of Canada charged in the fly. The Red Ensign that took familiar shape in Canada was introduced byPrime MinisterMackenzie Kingafter theFirst World War. From the 1940s until 1965, Canada made several attempts to create its own flag by holding national contests, but the Red Ensign still flew for Canada. A seriousdebate about a flag changedid not occur until 1964, when a committee was picked by Prime MinisterLester B. Pearson. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design byGeorge F.G. Stanleywas chosen as the winner. The current flag was adopted in 1964. The flag made its first appearance onFebruary 15,1965, which is now celebrated yearly asFlag Day.
Other than the Maple Leaf flag, several other flags have been created to be used by Canadian officials, government bodies and military forces. Most of these flags contain the Maple Leaf motif in some fashion; either by having the Canadian flag charged in the canton or by inclusion of maple leaves in the design.
The Royal Union Flagis also an official flag in Canada, used as a symbol of Canada's membership in theCommonwealth of Nationsand of her allegiance to the Crown. The Royal Union Flag forms a component of the flags of severalprovinces. InQuebec, theprovincial flag(a blue cross with fourfleur-de-lys) is often considered a national flag along with the Maple Leaf flag, as is theAcadianflag in the Acadian regions of theMaritime provinces.
Design
The Canadian flag flying at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, located atHalifax, Nova Scotia
The current flag of Canada was approved by the House of Commonson December 15, 1964 and by theSenatetwo days later. The flag was later approved byQueenElizabeth II, theQueen of Canada, an order which took effect on February 15, 1965.[3] The national flag is also employed as the naval ensign for Canadian ships and military vessels.
Symbolism
In 1921, KingGeorge Vproclaimed the official colours of Canada as red, from theSaint George's Cross, and white, from theFrenchroyal emblem since KingCharles VII.
As early as 1700, the maple leaf served as a symbol celebrating the nature and environment of what is now Canada. The maple leaf on the flag is a sugar mapleleaf. Sugar maples are native to Canada and have brilliant fallfoliage. The number of points on the leaf has no significance; they do not, for instance, represent the ten provinces plus the federal government. In fact, some of the very first Canadian flags made had maple leaves of 15 points: the lower single points were tripled like the top three.
By a figure-ground reversal of the white square and the maple leaf, the two upper corners of the square can be seen as silhouettes of two angry faces arguing. This has often been considered evocative of the nature of Canadian federalism, but was wholly unintentional.
In Canadian culture, various patrioticcomic bookCanadiansuperheroesuse the Maple Leaf flag as the basis for their costumes, much asCaptain America's costume is based on theAmerican flag. Hence, these characters' costumes are typically red and white with a red maple leaf as their symbol. Canadian superheroes who use this visual motif includeCaptain Canuck,Guardianand his successor, theVindicatorandNorthguard.
Technical description
Construction sheet
The ratio of the Canadian flag is 1:2, meaning the length of the flag is twice the width of the flag. The white field is a perfect square, and each red field is exactly half its size.
The Department of Canadian Heritagehas listed the various colour shades that should be used when reproducing the Canadian flag, these include:
Printing ink
FIP red: General Printing Ink, No. 0-712;
Inmont Canada Ltd., No. 4T51577;
Monarch Inks, No. 62539/0
Rieger Inks, No. 25564
Sinclair and Valentine, No. RL163929/0.
The following colours 0/100/100/0 in the CMYKprocess or PMS032 (flag red 100%) or PMS485 (used for screens) in thePantonecolour specifier can be used when reproducing the flag. In the Pantone Matching System, the colour used (not officially) is 186c. In 1984, the National Flag of Canada Manufacturing Standards Act was passed in order to unify the standards in making the national flag for uses indoors and outdoors.
In heraldry, the flag has beenblazonedas "Guleson aCanadian paleargenta maple leaf of the first."
History
Royal Union Flag
The Union Flag
The Royal Union Flag, called the Union Flag(or, commonly, Union Jack) in theUnited Kingdom, was used as ade jure flag until the adoption of the current flag in 1965. It remains an official Canadian flag, being flown on certain specific occasions.
Currently, regulations require federal installations to fly the Union Flag beside the Maple Leaf where physical arrangements exist (i.e., a second flagpole) on the following days: Commonwealth Day(the second Monday in March),Victoria Day(which is also the Sovereign's official birthday in Canada), and the anniversary of theStatute of Westminster(December 11). The Union Flag can also be flown at 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 Union Flag is always preceded by the Maple Leaf flag, the latter occupying the place of honour.
The Union Flag is also part of the provincial flags of OntarioandManitoba, forming the canton of these flags. A modified version is used on theflag of British Columbia. Theflag of Newfoundland and Labradoris a stylized version of the Union Jack.
Several of the provincial lieutenant-governorsformerly used a modified Union Flag as their personal standard, but theLieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotiais the only one who retains this design.
The Union Flag and Canadian Red Ensign are still sometimes flown in Canada by veterans' groups and others who continue to stress the importance of Canada's British heritage and the Commonwealthconnection.
Great Flag Debate
1957 version of the Canadian Red Ensignthat had evolved as thede facto national flag until 1965.
Flag of the Royal Military College of Canada
Earlier (1964) version of the proposal that was adopted.
In 1963, the minority Liberalgovernment ofLester B. Pearsongained power, and decided to adopt an official Canadian flag, by act of Parliament. The idea of an official national flag had been discussed for decades in the20th century, particularly during the Liberal governments ofMackenzie King; indeed, during theSecond World Warthere was for a time an effort to create a national flag for Canadian troops to carry into battle, but in Pearson's words, "It was a ridiculous design by some heraldic expert in National Defence, with all sorts of symbols on it." But it was not until the 1960s that the debate intensified, and became a subject of considerable controversy culminating in theGreat Flag Debateof 1964. The principal political proponent of the change wasPrime MinisterLester Pearson, who had been a significant broker during the Suez Crisis of 1956 (for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize), when the Egyptian government objected to Canadian peacekeeping forces on the grounds that they carried the flag of the United Kingdom, a belligerent. According toMike: The Memoirs of the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, Pearson's principal concern was for the Canadian flag to be distinctive, not in particular for its introduction to indicate a further break with the United Kingdom. The main opponent was the leader of the oppositionand former prime minister,John Diefenbaker, who made it his personal crusade.
Notwithstanding Pearson's caveat as to his (and before him, Mackenzie King's) rationale in pushing for a new flag, the Red Ensign had been unpopular in Quebec, a Liberal base of support. The Red Ensign was especially strongly favoured by rural English Canada, the heart of Torysupport. Diefenbaker demanded a referendum be held on the flag issue, but Pearson instead formed a multi-party parliamentary committee to select a new design. Through a period of study with some political manoeuvring, the committee chose the current design, which was created byGeorge F.G. Stanley, inspired by the flag of theRoyal Military College of Canada, inKingston, Ontario. Mooted designs included prototypes with blue rather than red bars and with three maple leaves as on the national coat of arms. The ultimately favoured design with red bars and a single maple leaf was adopted unanimously by the committee onOctober 29,1964. The new flag was adopted by theHouse of CommonsonDecember 15,1964. TheSenateadded its approval two days later.
Queen Elizabeth IIproclaimed the new flag onJanuary 28,1965. It was inaugurated onFebruary 15,1965, at an official ceremony held onParliament Hillin Ottawa in the presence ofGovernor GeneralMajor-GeneralGeorges P. Vanier, theprime minister, the members of the Cabinet, and Canadian parliamentarians. Since 1996, February 15 has been commemorated asNational Flag of Canada Day.
Despite the preceding acrimony, the new flag was quickly embraced by the Canadian public, and internationally the flag quickly became a welcome and easily recognizable marker of Canada worldwide.
Fate of the first Maple Leaf
After the first Maple Leaf was raised in February 1965, it was said that Prime Minister Pearson gave the original flag to the Liberal caucus. On February 15, 2000, a ceremony was held in which the Chair of the National Liberal Caucus presented Sheila Copps, theMinister of Canadian Heritage, with that flag. However, what is also said to be the first Maple Leaf was discovered in 2005. That Maple Leaf had been given to thenDeputy Speaker of the House of Commons,Lucien Lamoureux. Mr. Lamoureux was later appointed as Canada'sambassadortoBelgium. After his death and some delay, the flag was returned to Canada.
Protocol
Several Canadian flags flying in Toronto,Ontario
Officially, there is no law that dictates the proper use of the Canadian flag. However, Canadian Heritagereleased guidelines on how to correctly display the flag alone or with other flags. The guidelines deal with the order of precedence the Canadian flag is placed, where the flag can be used and how it is used and what people should do to honour the flag. The suggestions, titledFlag Etiquette in Canada, was published by Canadian Heritage in a book and online format, which had a last update at April of 2003. With the weather permitting, the flag itself can be displayed on any day at buildings operated by the Canadian Government, airports, military bases and diplomatic offices, as well as by citizens, during any time of the day. When flying the flag, it must be flown using its own pole and must be superior to all flags, save for, in descending order, the Queen's Personal Standard, theGovernor General's Standard, any of the Personal Standards of members of theCanadian Royal Family, or flags of theLieutenant-Governors.
Flying the flag at half-mast
When a flag is placed at the half-mast(or half-staff) position, it indicates that a period ofmourningis occurring. To raise a flag in this position, the flag must be flown to the top of the pole first, then brought down halfway before the flag is secured for flying. When such a period occurs, all flags should be flown at that position or not be flown at all, with the exception to flags permanently attached to poles.
In Canada, the decision to fly the flag at half-mast on federal buildings rests with Canadian Heritage. For the flag to be half-masted nationwide, one of the following deaths must be announced:
The Canadian Monarch– from the time of announcement of the death up to and including thefuneral. This clause includes members of the Royal Family related to the Sovereign by the first degree, such as a spouse, children, parents or siblings.
The current or former Governor General of Canada
The current or former Prime Minister of Canada
A current minister of the federal cabinet
Each province can make its own determination of when to half-mast the flag when provincial leaders or honoured citizens pass away. Canadian Heritage has the right to half-mast the flag under extraordinary circumstances, such as honouring former American President Ronald Reaganor for international events as theSeptember 11th attacksin 2001.
There are certain days every year that will call for the national flag to be flown at half-mast. These include:
April 9-Vimy Ridge Day
April 28-Workers' Mourning Day
Last Sunday in September - Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day
November 11-Remembrance Day
December 6-National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women