Infographic: National Flag of Canada Day – February 15

National Flag of Canada Day – February 15

The year was 1964 and Canada's centennial was fast approaching. Parliament voted to adopt a new design for the Canadian flag and issued a call for submissions. Almost 4,000 designs were submitted in many different colour combinations and motifs by Canadians from all walks of life, including A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven.

Submissions came in all shapes and sizes and on a variety of materials: wrapping paper, tissue paper, wallpaper, cardboard, bristol board, mat board, pieces of cloth, etc. Some people used pictures out of magazines, the labels off commercial products, postcards or included petitions in support of their design.

The final design was announced on December 15, 1964, and the official ceremony inaugurating the new Canadian flag was held on February 15, 1965.

Red and white were designated Canada's colours by King George V on November 21, 1921, in the proclamation of the Royal Arms of Canada – Canada's coat of arms.

The maple leaf as found on the national flag is a traditional emblem of Canada. It was for many years the symbol of the Canadian Armed Forces and was used to identify Canadian contingents in the two world wars.

Did you know

• the flag on Parliament Hill's Peace Tower is 4.6 metres wide by 2.3 metres tall. That's taller than the average Canadian! A scale drawing of a Canadian flag with a person beside it for size comparison. The flag is 2.3 meters (or 7 ft 6 in) tall and 4.6 meters (or 15 ft) wide. The person is 1.7 meters (or 5 ft 6 in tall).
• a Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) employee changes the Peace Tower flag every working day, except during unsafe weather conditions.
• flags flown on Parliament Hill never serve another official purpose, regardless of the time spent on the pole.
• PWGSC started a wait list for requesting flags flown on Parliament Hill in the mid-1990s and began changing the Peace Tower flag daily in 1998 to keep up with the demand.
• the current wait time for a Peace Tower flag has increased to over 100 years!

Public Works and Government Services Canada | www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca | Twitter: @PWGSC_TPSGC | Flickr & YouTube: PWGSCanada

Created in collaboration with Canadian Heritage | Facebook: Canadian Heritage | Twitter: @CdnHeritage

Library and Archives Canada | Facebook: Library and Archives Canada | Twitter: @LibraryArchives

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