The Secret History Behind Canada's Flag

Canada's maple leaf flag took a bitter national debate to exist.

Prime Minister Lester Pearson wanted Canada to have a flag of its own, while opposition leader John Diefenbaker defended the Red Ensign. Out of about 2,400 designs submitted, the red-and-white maple leaf was chosen; Parliament approved it on December 17, 1964, and it was raised on Parliament Hill on February 15, 1965.

The date printed on every Canada design in our catalog, July 1, 1867, is the day Confederation joined New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada into a single country — the day now celebrated as Canada Day.

Almost a century separates the country from its flag, and one leaf is all it took.

See the Canada Maple Leaf Tee → · Browse the North America collection → — or explore the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Story Cards page.