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Today’s Canadian flag was officially inaugurated on February 15, 1965. The search for this flag however started 40 years prior. Canada had several flag designs prior to 1925 but they were mostly used at sea and none were ever officially sanctioned. When the quest for a new flag began in 1925 a committee began to look at possible designs. For one reason or another, their work was never completed.

Another committee was formed in 1946, design submissions were requested of which they subsequently received over 2600. But again, the Parliament never took a vote on an official flag and more years went by. In 1964 yet another committee moved the project forward by narrowing the submissions down to only 3 designs. One of the designs contained a single red maple leaf on a white background which had also been an emblem worn by all Canadian Olympic athletes since 1904. This was the design that was finally recommended by the committee. It was approved by the House on December 15, 1964 and then by the Senate on December 17th of the same year. The Queen of Canada, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed it to take effect on February 15, 1965.

The Canadian flag contains red and white, Canada's official colors as proclaimed by King George V in 1921 in the proclamation of the royal arms of Canada. A red rectangle is on both the hoist and the fly end. In the center is a white square with a red, 11-point maple leaf in the center. Proportionally the flag is two times longer than it is tall.

Reasons to Celebrate

• Canada Day - July 1, 2012
• Remembrance Day - November 11, 2012

Find out more about the Canadian flag.