Canadian History

----1925

A Privy Council was assigned in 1925 to find a new Canadian flag. The Privy Council began to search for new creative designs for the new flag. However, that goal was never accomplished.

----1964

It all began one afternoon in the late autumn of 1964. An urgent call came from the Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson, to the desk of Ken Donovan. The message was that the Prime Minister wanted prototypes of proposals for the new flag to take to his new residence in Harrington Lake the next morning. On the table were three proposals that included a maple leaf out of 2,600 other proposals.

In October after taking out several of proposals, they were left with three proposals which included the design with a Maple leaf. Lester B. Pearson informed the House of Commons that they want to adopt a distinctive flag. The three possible designs were by: Red Ensign with the fleur-de-lis and the Union Jack, a flag that included three Maple leafs and the last design which is a red flag with a red Maple leaf on a white square which is the one we use today. The Prime Minister preferred a design flag with three red Maple leafs with two blue borders.

Two experts that had the profession and had studied art, had to select the choice for our flag. Alan Beddoe, a retired naval captain and heraldic adviser to the Royal Canadian Navy, and colonel Fortescue Duguid, a heraldist and historian.

Then there was a design by Dr. Stanley. The design showed "A strong sense of Canadian History", and combined the colours of red and white.

December, 1964

At this time the committee suggested the single red maple leaf. It was also accepted by a resolution of the House of Commons on February the 15th followed by the Senate on the 17th. It was also declared by Queen Elizabeth lI on February the 15th 1965.