What's the meaning of Canada's flag and its colours?

Answer 1

In 1921, King George V proclaimed the official colours of Canada as red, from the Saint George's Cross, and white, from the French royal emblem since King Charles VII.

As early as 1700, the maple leaf began to serve as a symbol celebrating Canada's nature and environment. The maple leaf on the flag is a sugar maple leaf. Sugar maples are native to Canada and have brilliant fall foliage. The number of points on the leaf has no significance; they do not, for instance, represent the ten provinces plus the federal government. In fact, some of the very first Canadian flags made had maple leaves of 15 points: the lower single points were tripled like the top three.

By a figure-ground reversal of the white square and the maple leaf, the two upper corners of the square can be seen as silhouettes of two angry faces arguing. This has often been considered evocative of the nature of Canadian federalism, but was wholly unintentional.

In Canadian Culture, various patriotic comic book Canadian superheroes use the Maple Leaf Flag as the basis for their costumes, much as Captain America's costume is based on the Stars and Stripes flag. Hence, these characters' costumes are typically red and white with a red maple leaf as their symbol. Canadian superheroes who use this visual motif include Captain Canuck, Guardian and his successor, the Vindicator and Northguard.

Answer 2

Canadas Flag

Answer 3

As hard as this may be to believe, Canada's flag has a very military based background I wanted to share with you just to develop the explanations others offered here.

The color Red: The red in the flag is the oldest symbol Canada has going which is a direct inheritance from the British Empire. Where it started really was the American Revolution. The British troops wore red, the Americans blue. When the Loyalists were thrown out of the 13 former colonies and the British Army moved them to our modern day eastern provinces, the red jacket became the symbol of their differentiation from the "rebels". When we were settling our west, this took on another layer. Firstly the Hudson's Bay Company always flew a red flag over it's forts. Then to make sure the First Nations of the prairies knew the Mounties represented someone different than the blue coated American calvary, they were dressed in red again. Then the Canadian Pacific Railway came and made sure to use red in every symbol they ever conjured up. Ultimately the ensign (a British Imperial Flag. A perfect example of one of these is the Auzzie or New Zealand flag) we chose to use was red. So with all this, when it came time to adopt a "national" flag, the red had to be included. Why it was put on the side bars particularly though was harkened back to the combination of our national motto (from sea to sea) and the whole symbolism of the "sun never setting on the British Empire". Again, you can see the predominance of this symbol in how the CPR did it's very first tourist marketing. It was the "all red route" between London and China.

White: Harkens to the color of the Royal French regime. Where this was used the most in Canada though was again on military uniforms the French soldiers wore that were stationed in New France prior to the conquest.

The Maple Leaf: The maple leaf is perhaps the only symbol on the flag that doesn't have military roots. However, it owes its primacy to military use. When WWI broke out, as part of the British Empire, Canada just automatically was a combattent and considered an integral part of the effort. When we mobilized troops, they were put in British uniforms and trained and organized just like them. At the time though, they wanted to try and stand out. Have some nationalist expression in the midst of the chaos. They struggled with it and found a very convenient and recognizable symbol. Maple leaf lapel pins and shoulder patches. Initally it was fought against because maple trees only grow in Quebec and Ontario. It just wasn't very national. That said though, the symbol stuck, and given the success of the Canadian Corps (they were regarded as one of the premier units of the war by both sides. The Kaiser even congratulated them on their victory at Vimy in 1917 and their monument there was the only one Hitler didn't have torn down during the occupation) it became hugely potent (To this day, when you go to the battlefield monuments in France and the surest way to tell a Canadian cemetary is the presence of imported maple trees). It was from this choice that the maple leaf became a national symbol.

Hope I didn't bore you

Answer 4

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/axfmD

The colours red and white used in the Canadian flag are the same as those colours used in the Union Flag (of the UK). Red and white are the national colours of Canada since 1921 (when they were proclaimed by King George V on the recommendation of the Canadian Government). The heraldic description of the Canadian National Flag is: Gules on a Canadian pale argent a maple leaf of the first In World War 1, Lester Pearson noted that almost every battalion from Canada included the maple leaf in its insignia, and vowed he would campaign to put it on the flag, and of course 50 years later as prime minister of Canada he was part of the 33-day debate that resulted in the maple leaf as the Canadian flag.

Answer 5

The maple leaf has been accepted as symbolic of Canada since the 1700's. The two red fields on each side symbolize the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, following the motto 'Ad mare usque ad mare', 'From sea to sea'. The earlier answer referring to the reason for the red and white colours is probably accurate.

Answer 6

Well the maple leaf is an accepted symbol of Canada hence the red maple in the center of the flag. The two red bars on either side were a compromise between the conservatives and liberals when the flag was being designed. Canada being part of the British empire flew the red ensign until the new flag was designed and agreed upon in feb of 1965, so the red in the flag plays homage to our Commonwealth roots.

Answer 7

To continue on other postings, the Canadian Flag is designed after the Royal Military College flag located in Kingston Ontario which has two red vertical edges with the RMC Coat of Arms in the centre instead of the Maple Leaf.

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What's the meaning of Canada's flag and its colours?

Answer 9

French and English Canadian interests dominate politics in this country. The maple leaf in the middle is a symbol that has meaning to both. The "frontier" and "pioneer" history of Canada, and the present natural beauty of the country are clearly symbolized by the maple leaf. The red sides actually symbolize the two oceans -- blue was considered too American with the red and the white.

Interestingly, the increasing importance of the arctic has promoted some to suggest changing Canada's motto to: "From sea to sea to sea." Tough to say whether this will affect the flag.

Answer 10

Canadian Flag Meaning