When did Canada make the maple leaf their symbol?”
The National Flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and l’Unifolié (French for “the one-leafed”), is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag. The Canadian Red Ensign had been unofficially used since the 1890s and was approved by a 1945 Order-in-Council for use “wherever place or occasion may make it desirable to fly a distinctive Canadian flag”. In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson appointed a committee to resolve the issue, sparking a serious debate about a flag change. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design by George F. G. Stanley and John Matheson based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada was selected. The flag made its first appearance on February 15, 1965; the date is now celebrated annually as National Flag of Canada Day. Many different flags have been created for use by Ca
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is one of the most widely recognized national symbols of Canada. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000. Also by this time, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by the Canadiens along the Saint Lawrence River.[1] Its popularity with French Canadians continued, and was reinforced when, at the inaugural meeting of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste in 1834,[2] the maple leaf was one of numerous emblems proposed to represent the society. Speaking in its favour, Jacques Viger, the first mayor of Montreal, described the maple as “the king of our forest; … the symbol of the Canadian people.” The Royal Standard of Canada showing a sprig of three maple leaves as part of the design. The flag of Canada, featuring a stylized maple leaf in the centre. The maple leaf slowly caught on as a national symbol: in 1868, it was included in the coat of arms of
