Why is the canadian flag a maple leaf?
Why the Maple Leaf? Why was the maple leaf chosen as the official symbol on Canada’s national flag? Some may question why the maple leaf was eventually chosen as the symbol used on Canada’s flag, particularly given that the sugar maple, used as the model for the maple leaf design on Canada’s national flag, is found only in eastern Canada. Further to this, the majority of Canada’s maple trees are, in fact, only found east of Manitoba. By contrast, the beaver, a symbol of industriousness, and responsible for Canada’s burgeoning fur trade in the 1800s, is found widely across the country. In 1849, when famous Canadian engineer Sandford Fleming was asked to design Canada’s first adhesive postage stamp, he chose to portray a beaver building a dam near a waterfall. There are several reasons why the maple leaf was a more appropriate choice. For one thing, the maple leaf is simply easier to draw. For another, the maple leaf is red, one of Canada’s national colours (the other is white). Finally,
