National Flag of Canada Day

The maple leaf has been a symbol of Canada since the 18th century. In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson formed a committee in order to decide on the official design of the Canadian flag. The National Flag of Canada consists of two red rectangles on the both sides, a white square between them and an 11-pointed red maple leaf centred on the white square.

The Canadian Red Ensign was the former Canadian flag used by the federal government before the official maple-leaf design was introduced. The Canadian flag is known by different names. It is generally called the ‘National Flag of Canada’. It is also known as ‘The Maple Leaf’. It is called ‘l’Unifolié’ in French.