Flag of Canada Logo PNG
Today Canada is known as the second-largest and one of the most influential countries in the modern world. But this country has a vibrant history. Even its name, Canada, is derived from a Laurentian word, meaning “Village” or “Settlement”. And Laurentian was the language of one of the first American Indian tribes, settled in the country.
Although, you do not have to be an expert in history or culture of Canada to know its bright and distinctive National Flag, which consists of three wide vertical stripes of red and white colors and a large and sharp red maple leaf in the center. Most of us can not even imagine Canada having another official flag, however, the maple leaf one was not officially adopted until 1965. And below we are going to tell you a brief history of the Canadian flag and its symbolism.
| Colors | HEX | RAL | RGB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | D80621 | 3028 | 216, 6, 33 |
| White | FFFFFF | N. A. | 255, 255, 255 |
History of the Flag
So, as we already mentioned above, the Flag of Canada as we know it today did not become the country’s national symbol until 1965. Apparently, for several centuries prior to this date, Canada had used various heraldic compositions. And most of them were based on the famous Union Jack, the flag of Great Britain.
However, in the middle of the XX century, the political mood in the country began to experience increased controversy over Canada’s separation from Great Britain. So it became clear that creating its own flag to reflect the national identity of the country turned to be an urgent necessity.
The first attempts to create a new national flag date back to 1925. Several variations of the flag were proposed, but the authors could not agree on one and the project was shelved. The next attempt was made in 1945. This time the variant f the flag looked like a triple red maple leaf on a white background without any additional elements. However, even this option did not receive support and was not adopted.
And only in 1964 the country’s authorities got close to finally approving the new flag of Canada. The red maple leaf became the central element of the new national flag, which was officially adopted on February 15, 1965.
However, we should not forget the strong French influence on Canada’s culture and identity, which also lasted for centuries. So, throughout the whole history of Canada, the heraldic symbols of France have also replaced the country’s flag several times. We will tell you more about them below.
1606
To this day, Canada is a country in which the influence of the two powers, England and France, is felt equally strongly. And throughout the country’s history, this confrontation can be seen in the flags. After the defeat in the Seven Years’ War and the conclusion of the Treaty of Versailles, Canada was taken over by the British Empire, and the Royal Union Flag (the blue-red-white flag of Great Britain, which from the early 19th century would be known as the Union Jack) became the official flag of Canada.
1663
In parallel, the French also used their national symbols on some territories of Canada. Thus, one of them was a blue coat of arms with three heraldic fleur-de-lys. The coat of arms was decorated with a massive crown in the red and gold palette, and two cute curly angels in blue robes, placed on the sides.
1707
In 1707, Canada started using a new flag, which was called the Red Ensign. It looked like a solid intense-red cloth with the British flag in its upper left corner. At that time, the British flag was composed of two white crosses on a blue background, and just one straight red cross in the center.
1715
Another French flag, used by Canada in the XVIII century was the Pavillon of Royal France, a white horizontally oriented rectangle, decorated by numerous golden fleur-de-lys symbols without any other elements. It was a simple yet beautiful flag with 86 royal symbols, which looked like small bees.
1801
With the official redesign of the flag of Great Britain, when the thin diagonal cross in red was added to the composition (Union Jack now), the flag of Canada was also changed respectively. However, the composition itself remained absolutely the same: solid red background and the British flag in the top left corner.
1868
A new element was added to the flag in 1868. It was the colonies’ coat of arms, placed in the center of the right half of the flag. The British Union Jack was still in its place, in the upper left corner of the red rectangle. This version of the flag was named the Canadian Red Ensign and stayed unchanged for longer than half a century.
1921
The coat of arms of Confederation added to the Canadian flag in 1868, was modified as provinces were added. In 1921, the regional coats of arms on the shield were replaced by the national emblems of Ireland, France, England, and Scotland, and the lower part of the coat of arms was now occupied by the image of three maple leaves. As for the base of the flag, the red cloth and the British flag in the corner — all remained unchanged.
1957
The only thing that was changed on the flag of Canada in 1957 was the color of the three maple leaves, set at the bottom of the coat of arms, on a solid white background. The green shade was switched to red, with thin orange lines decorating the image. This was the last version, used by the country before the official announcement of the National Flag of Canada.
1965 — Today
Finally, in 1964, the country’s authorities decided to hold a contest for new official symbol of Canada. And shortly they were established: the color scheme — white and red, and the main symbol — the maple leaf.
The new flag was presented to the citizens of Canada on February 15, 1965, and this is the date of its official adoption. The maple leaf on a white background with two thinner red stripes on the sides, — is a reflection of the richness and beauty of Canadian nature, as well as the spirit of unity and multinationality of the Canadian people.
Meaning of Symbols and Colors
So as we all know, the National Flag of Canada is a horizontally oriented rectangular cloth in white and red, with three vertical stripes and an enlarged red maple leaf in the center. It’s pointless to argue that this flag today is one of the most recognizable graphical symbols in the world, and also one of the most stylish and progressive state signifiers. However, the Canadian flag, although it looks rather minimalistic, carries important codes and meanings for the country. More about it you will below.
Symbols
The main element of the Canadian flag is the Maple Leaf. It is a historical symbol and stands for its natural richness and beauty, and also for the unity of the Canadian people. According to some sources, the maple leaf originally symbolized all immigrant children.
Interestingly, before the final approval of the flag design, several studies were conducted and the shape of the leaf was changed many times. Designers chose a shape that would not distort the canvas in windy weather, and wind tunnel tests were conducted for this purpose. Thus, the Maple Leaf with 11 vertices appeared, while the real natural shape of such a leaf has 27 vertices.
Colors
The color palette of the Canadian flag, composed of red and white, has as much symbolic significance as the maple leaf itself. White here is the depiction of the influence of France, while red is the color of St. George, which symbolizes Britain. However, there are several other interpretations of the color scheme. First, the two red stripes on the sides of the Canadian flag signify the two oceans that wash the country from west and east parts — the Pacific and the Atlantic.
Also, the red and white colors of the Canadian flag carry some poetic and figurative meanings. Thus, it is believed that Red reflects the courage, passion, and energy of Canadian citizens, and White symbolizes purity, peace, and openness.
It is also worth paying attention to the special hue of red color chosen for the Canadian flag. The shade is called Bright Scarlet and the designers chose it because it differs from both the lighter red in the British Union Jack and the darker red of the US flag.
Use of the Flag
As any other flag of any other state, the direct purpose of the Canadian one is to internationally represet the ciuntry. But the Canadian flag also serves as a symbol of the country’s history, and culture, and, of course, its people. Today, the red and white flag with a maple leaf in the center can be seen all over the territory of Canada. It waves above governmental buildings and public monuments, it is used at ceremonial events and various celebrations, and is also used on Canadian citizens’ homes, cars, and even clothing.
In addition, this red-and-white flag is widely used by Canadian companies and brands in their visual identity. So today it is not just a national symbol, but also the so-called logo of the country.
Coat of Arms
In addition to the national flag, Canada has another official heraldic symbol, the Coat of Arms. The Coat of Arms is used as a symbol of state power by various institutions and government representatives, and its image is also represented on banknotes, some coins, and also on the covers of passports of Canadian citizens.
The Arms of His Majesty The King in Right of Canada was adopted in 1921 and has never been modified since. The coat of arms strongly resembles the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom but with distinctive elements.
The central part of the coat of arms boasts an elegant image of a shield, in the lower part of which you can see three maple leaves, which in the historical version were drawn in solid green, but later the color was changed to red with light orange accents. In the upper part of the shield, there are four segments with heraldic elements, symbolizing the countries from which the first immigrants came to Canada: England, Scotland, Ireland, and France.
The spears, drawn vertically on the sides of the shield, and decorated by the flags of Great Britain and Royal France are there to remind us of the role of these countries in Canadian history. The crown on top of the coat of arms symbolizes Canada’s constitutional monarchy, headed by a king or queen. The Lion Rampant and Unicorn on the sides of the shield represent the country’s polity as a British Dominion. Another lion, in a smaller size, is located in the upper part of the composition, below the crown, and is accompanied by a red maple leaf.
Also, on the coat of arms, there are two inscriptions in Latin – on the red circle around the shield is written “They Wished for a Better Country”, and on the blue – is “From Sea to Sea”.
