The Flag Turns 50

Note: This video and text was originally produced in 2015 for the 50th anniversary of Canada adopting the Maple Leaf flag.

It has been 50 years since the red and white Maple Leaf became the official flag of Canada. Until then, Canada made do with unofficial versions of the Red Ensign, which was originally the flag of the British Merchant Marine. The Red Ensign displayed the Union Jack in the corner, reflecting Canada’s ties to Great Britain.

The drive to establish a made-in-Canada flag began in the 1920s with Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. But progress was not made until 1964, a few years before Canada’s Centennial year. The decision by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson to move forward with a new flag resulted in almost of year of often acrimonious debate.

In this video, historian Allan Levine talks about Canada’s Great Flag Debate.