Canada (1921–1957)
#1841
SVGFull size
#2074 · national
Canada
Canada’s red–white–red vertical triband with a centered 11‑point maple leaf, adopted in 1965 and widely known as the Maple Leaf.
Traits
- Layout
- Vertical stripes
- Pattern
- Tricolor
- Symbols
- Plant
- Emblem
- Center
- Text
- None
Details
- Catalogue
- #2074
- Favorites
- 3
- Added
- Jul 1, 2025
- Image source
- commons.wikimedia.org
History
Officially adopted on 15 February 1965, the Maple Leaf flag replaced the Union Jack and the Canadian Red Ensign after a high-profile national debate. The design—red‑white‑red with a centered 11‑point maple leaf—was developed from a proposal by George F. G. Stanley, inspired by the Royal Military College flag, and selected from thousands of submissions reviewed by a 1964 parliamentary committee initiated by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Canada’s official colours, red and white, were declared in 1921 by King George V. While Parliament did not assign official meanings to the elements, common interpretations emphasize the maple leaf as a longstanding symbol of Canada, red for courage and sacrifice, white for peace, and the two red bands as evoking the country’s breadth from coast to coast. The flag was proclaimed by royal proclamation in December 1964 and first raised over Parliament Hill on the adoption date, now marked annually as National Flag of Canada Day.
