Why is the Canadian flag red and white

Canada is one of the most revered countries of the world and boasts of a great cultural heritage. The fabric of democracy has underlined the Canadian way of living from times immemorial. Though the Canadian roots are dunk deep into the sands of time, but for a good part of its existence, the country did not have its own national flag. The Union Jack played the role of the country’s flag till as late as 1965. As a matter of fact, the Canadian flag’s history begins from the fag end of the 19th century. From as early as 1870 to as late as 1925, the country of Canada had a flag with the Union Jack symbol in the upper left corner and a shield of the coat of arms of the provinces of Canada in the middle.

As the Canadian advancement towards the status of a naturally and culturally rich country shifted into top gear with the advent of the twentieth century, the need for a unique identification of the country’s culture and values made its presence felt. William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Prime Minister of the country, made endeavours to engender an entirely new design for the flag of the country in the years 1925 and 1964. However, he could not turn his aspirations into reality. In 1964, Lester Pearson, the Prime Minister of the country, constituted a panel of 15 members to design a new flag for the country, and gave them mere six weeks to accomplish the job.

The shortage of the time available for the committee entrusted with the job of designing the flag of Canada is considered a reason for the simplistic red and white shades of the flag. Professor George Malley of the Royal Military College in Kingston gave the idea for the red and white flag with the maple leaf design. Member of Parliament Mr. John Matheson and Dr. George Stanley of the Royal College had a telling impact in the choice of colours for the flag, and a combination of red and white was their choice.