How Canada Got Its Own Flag
You might be familiar with the Canadian flag. The red maple leaf over a white background in between two blocks of red. It was only in 1965 that this current flag became the national flag of Canada. Before this, Canada’s national flag consisted of variations of the Union Jack, showing their ties to Great Britain. So how did Canada get its own flag, and what is the history behind it?
From 1867, when Canada became its own country, to 1922, the national flag of Canada was the Union Jack, showing its loyalty and ties to Great Britain. After Canada’s involvement in World War I, a sentiment of national pride and identity stirred the nation and a slight variation of the Union Jack called the Red Ensign was adopted. The Red Ensign was the Canadian flag that was informally used by many since the late 19th century.
Why Canadians kept the Union Jack
In Canada’s early days, even after the confederation of Canada, Canadians thought of themselves as British (at least the English speaking majority did). The laws, customs, politics, language, and even the accent among the wealthy and powerful resembled that of Great Britain’s. The British Isles had a lot of cultural and political influence on Canada and there was no reason for Canadians to deviate…
