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A National Debate

Gallery 3: Modern Canada ⟶ Sovereignty and Prosperity ⟶ Fully Canadian

A New Flag
For almost a century, Canadians and their governments had used the Red Ensign as the unofficial national flag. Originally used to identify Canadian ships at sea, the Canadian Red Ensign featured the Union Jack and the Canadian coat of arms. After the war, many Canadians felt that a new, distinctively Canadian flag was needed to symbolize Canada’s independence. Others believed in maintaining the tradition of the Red Ensign.

Canadian individuals and organizations attempted to mobilize support for a new flag. In the spring of 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson announced his government’s plan to adopt “a flag that is truly distinctive and truly national in character.” A special parliamentary committee considered thousands of proposals in the summer of 1964.

Final Design Prototypes

In October 1964, the committee presented its recommended design, with a single red maple leaf. The prime minister asked to see variations of the final design flying from a flagpole at his residence on Harrington Lake. Civil servant Ken Donovan hurriedly called his daughter Joan O’Malley to ask her to help sew some prototypes. She prepared the first Maple Leaf flag ever flown, which was based on a cardboard mock-up.

A New Flag

The new flag was officially unveiled on February 15, 1965. Walter Lyons, a teenager in Valleyfield, Quebec, worked with his mother Clothilde to make this flag to decorate their family porch on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and Dominion Day (Canada Day), 1965. Normally his bilingual neighbourhood would be decked in either papal or British Union Jack flags.

  • Maple Leaf flagHomemade Canada flagMade by Walter Lyons and Clothilde Boulay Lyons, 1965
    Gift of Ken Lyons
    CMH, 2016.10.1

 

Photos

  • Flag design with thin blue borders on either side and three red maple leaves in the centre“Pearson Pennant” flag designAlan Beddoe, 1964
    CMH, 2014.6.2
  • Drawing of a design very similar to the current Canadian flag, with handwritten notesMaple leaf flag design recommended by the parliamentary committeeAlan Beddoe, 1964
    CMH, 2014.6.12
  • Design of current Maple Leaf flagRevised flag designJacques Saint-Cyr, November 1964
    CMH, 2014.6.13
  • Sign with white background and black lettering that says “Canada needs a flag now!”SignInscription: Canada needs a flag now!
    1959
    CMH, 2014.51.1

 

Learn more

Collection

Canadian flag prototypes

Bishop D. Ralph Spence Collection

Photo at top of page:
Sign
Inscription: Canada needs a flag now!
1959
CMH, 2014.51.1