Canada has had its own distinct national flag for 61 years. After years of often divisive debate and the consideration of hundreds of possible designs, the red maple leaf flag was raised on Parliament Hill in Ottawa at noon on February 15, 1965.
The flag is a unifying symbol for our entire country. It is the flag of everyone from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, and from Middle Island in Lake Erie to Cape Columbia, just 767 kilometres from the North Pole. This symbol is as important as ever this year due to challenges to Canada’s independence from outside, and challenges to its unity from within. We have endured further efforts to undermine our economic and political independence from the American administration, and separatist factions within Canada have renewed their efforts, but the flag has remained our symbol through it all.
There are people who say that Canadians should not be so concerned about what is happening in the country next door, and that we should just mind our own business and let the situation run its course. The truth is, what is happening affects Canada. We need to be prepared and make the necessary changes to maintain our independence. Our flag, and other symbols of a united Canada are ways of demonstrating that independence and to show that behind that flag, there are people who are loyal and want to maintain and grow our country, not just economically, but socially and culturally. The flag is really a symbol of our foundation as a country built on civil rights, the rule of law, and people of many backgrounds with a common cause.
We cannot blindly think that just because we have a flag that unifies us, that our country is perfect. We all see the problems Canada has, and we all have different ideas about how to solve them. But the flag is one of the things that represents all of us. Think of how that representation shows around the world, whether it’s on the uniforms of our Olympic athletes competing in Italy, or on members of the Canadian Armed Forces deployed internationally.
No matter the weather, no matter the situation. Display a Canadian flag outside your home or in your place of business and show the symbol that unifies us all.
