The Canadian flag at 50 and its northern Ontario connections
The Canadian flag as we know it has some interesting connections to the northeast—and came with plenty of debate both here and around the country.
Some Sudburians at the time thought the new flag was cold looking and should have had a beaver
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The Canadian flag in front of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
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The Canadian flag as we know it has some interesting connections to the northeast — and came with plenty of debate both here and around the country.
These are two of the final three flag designs considered in 1964 to replace the Canada's red ensign flag. One features a trio of redmaple leaves with blue stripes on either side while the other features the accepted design with Union Jack and Fleur de Lis. (Canadian Press)
The flag officially turns 50 on Feb. 15. Here's CBC Sudbury Morning North radioshow host Markus Schwabe discussing those early days before and after the red maple leaf:
Morning North6:31Canada's flag turns 50
The Canadian flag turns 50 this weekend. We went to the archives to dig up some audio of what people thought about it when it was first presented. We also found audio of the raising of the flag at Queen's Park, and dug up a few flag facts for you.
Sturgeon Falls, Ont., has the distinction of being the first town in Canada to hoist the maple leaf. They and ran it up the flag pole at town hall on Jan. 5, 1965, while the rest of the country followed a month later with official flag raising ceremonies across Canada.
When the provincial government decided to make the old Canadian flag the new Ontario flag, two Liberal MPPs, Leo Troy of Nipissing and Elmer Sopha of Sudbury, were the two votes against. They argued that the Red Ensign wasn't inclusive for those of non-British background — especially Francophones. However, the Red Ensign became Ontario's flag on March 17, 1965.
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The now iconic Canadian flag design is credited to designer Jacques St-Cyr, a staunch Quebec nationalist. A graphic designer in Sudbury, Frank Chartrand, dug up this sketch:
Larentian University lecturer and historian Mike Commito offered this neat tidbit in response to one of Markus Schwabe's question:
CBC Sudbury reporter Erik White dug this up from the archives:
