When was the maple leaf flag adopted?

The maple leaf flag was adopted on February 15, 1965 when Queen Elizabeth II's proclamation took effect, replacing the Canadian Red Ensign as the national flag of Canada. The design (a single red 11-pointed maple leaf on a white square between two red bars, in the proportion 1:2:1 width-to-square-to-width) was selected after the longest debate in Canadian House of Commons history at the time. February 15 is now celebrated annually as Canadian National Flag of Canada Day. The flag is one of Canada's most instantly recognisable national symbols.

The Canadian Red Ensign (a red flag with the Union Jack in the canton and the Canadian coat of arms) had served as Canada's de facto national flag for most of the period since Confederation. It was officially recognised as the national flag in 1945 by an Order in Council of Mackenzie King's government. By the 1960s, however, many Canadians (including Lester B. Pearson) believed Canada needed a distinctive national flag without colonial British symbols. Pearson had promised a new flag during his 1963 election campaign, responding partly to French Canadian discomfort with the Union Jack.

The Great Flag Debate ran from June 15 to December 15, 1964, the longest single debate in Canadian House of Commons history at the time (252 speeches, 33 sitting days). Pearson proposed a flag with three red maple leaves on a white field with two blue bars (the 'Pearson Pennant'). The Conservatives under John Diefenbaker fiercely opposed any flag without the Union Jack, calling the proposed change a betrayal of Canada's British heritage. The Multi-Party Flag Committee, chaired by Liberal MP Herman Batten, considered about 5,900 submissions from the public. The Committee's October 29, 1964 report recommended the single-leaf design submitted by Royal Military College history professor George Stanley.

The House of Commons approved the new flag on December 15, 1964 by a vote of 163 to 78 (after Pearson invoked closure to end the debate). Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed the flag on January 28, 1965 to take effect February 15, 1965. The first official raising took place at noon on February 15, 1965 on Parliament Hill, with Pearson attending and a large crowd witnessing the ceremony. The flag's design elements have specific meanings: red and white are Canada's official colours (set by King George V in 1921); the maple leaf has been a Canadian symbol since at least the 1830s; the 11 points have no specific symbolism but were chosen for visual clarity from a distance. The flag's designer, George Stanley, was honoured with the Order of Canada in 1996. The Canadian Heritage Foundation operates the National Flag of Canada Days programme.