National Flag Day & All You Need To Know

The red and white maple leaf flag was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill on February 15, 1965. However, it wasn’t actually an official flag until three decades later, on the same day in 1996, when Prime Minister Jean Chrétien officially declared National Flag Day. Despite not being a public holiday, there has been discussion about creating one

A poll conducted in 1958 showed that Canadians wanted a flag that was not based on the flag of Britain. In 1964 voted to adopt a new design for the Canadian flag and issued a call for submissions. This flag would replace the Canadian Red Ensign, the national flag of Canada since 1868. Nearly 4,000 designs were submitted by Canadians. On October 22, 1964, the Maple Leaf flag—designed by historian George Stanley—won with a unanimous vote. At the stroke of noon on February 15, 1965, Canada’s red and white maple leaf flag was raised for the very first time on Parliament Hill.