Canada’s national flag celebrates its 50th anniversary! Approved by Parliament on December 15, 1964, the flag was proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II to take effect on February 15, 1965.
The Proclamation of the Canadian Flag (MIKAN 2909612)
The issue of selecting a representative and unique Canadian flag went through waves of debate following the First and Second World Wars, and in 1964 it became a hotly contested government priority for Lester B. Pearson’s Liberal minority government. Announced in May 1964, Pearson’s push to select a Canadian flag by December 1964 was criticized by the Progressive Conservative opposition, headed by John G. Diefenbaker, who wanted to take such a decision to a public plebiscite.
In September 1964, Tommy Douglas, leader of the New Democratic Party, suggested an all-party committee to select this nationally significant symbol through parliamentary consensus. The idea was endorsed by the government and the fifteen-member National Flag Committee was created, chaired by Member of Parliament John Matheson. After reviewing thousands of submissions, the solitary red maple leaf on a white square between two red borders was selected by the Committee as the unifying symbol for Canada. This submission was made by historian George F. Stanley who described the idea as simple, devoid of British and French national symbols, and easily recognizable as being Canadian.
The selection of the red maple leaf was then debated and voted on by Canada’s 26th Parliament. The passion surrounding the debate did not dissipate. By the time the final vote occurred in the House of Commons, the debate had lasted into the early hours of December 15th and it was two o’clock in the morning!
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has digitized several of the public’s submissions to the National Flag Committee. Some of these proposals can be found on LAC’s Flickr website.
Do you want to know more about this moment in Canadian history? Check out the links below to investigate other parts of LAC’s flag holdings:
- Listen to the podcast: Canada’s flag – the maple leaf forever
- Lester B. Pearson fonds
- John Ross Matheson fonds
- Alan B. Beddoe fonds
- Records relating to the National Flag Committee sub-sub-series of the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada fonds
- Discover the Collection: National Identity
Here are some other links from the Internet relating to Canada’s flag debate:
- National Flag of Canada Day
- The Images of a Country (courtesy of the Diefenbaker Canada Centre Archives)
- The Great Canadian Flag Debate (courtesy of CBC’s Digital Archives)
- Heritage Minutes – Flags
Library and Archives Canada Blog 
Although most of the information here is correct, there are several inaccurate pieces. John Ross Matheson did not chair the Flag committee, he was a member of the committee and was the person most responsible for bringing our Canadian Maple Leaf Flag to fruition. The second piece is Dr. George Stanley made a suggestion to John Ross Matheson which is a recycled concept from a memo written on February 8th 1919 by Major-General (later Sir) Eugene Fiset who suggested the emblem of Canada be ” a single red maple leaf on a white field with red bordures (armorial bearing) The actual design team was made up of George Bist (proportions) Jacques St. Cyr (creator of the stylized maple leaf as we see it today)) Dr. Gunter Wyszecki (NRC team who developed the Scientific Standard colour of red. John Ross Matheson, Patrick Reid and Jacques St. Cyr overseen the final creation and design on November 9th 1964.
Thank you M. Harper for this information.
Very interesting podcast. I always love hearing more about our National Flag of Canada.
Our museum here in Argyle, MB is home to the famous Canadian Flag Collection – over 1,100 flags of Canada’s historic, regional, sport, corporate and special event heritage.
http://www.settlersrailsandtrails.com
I have this document in my belongings. Is it of any value?
I do also. Did you ever find out anything more on it over the course of the last few years???