O, Canada - The Great Canadian Flag Debate

Those of us who are old enough to recall the heady days of old style politicin' in Canada, with Lester B. Pearson's Liberals lined up against John Diefenbaker's staunch Conservatives, locked in what seemed at the time to be an unending, but equally balanced struggle for the leadership of the country, will probably remember the Great Flag Debate of 1964, which ended with the selection of the distinctive, red-and-white banner we fly so proudly today.

The roots of the debate were firmly planted in 1867, during Confederation. The infant nation, originally a Crown Colony, had finally become that new "Dominion of Canada". It's original flag was at that time, Britain's Union Jack. For the next hundred years the debate about "a flag of our own" would be waged, sometimes not as fiercely, but most often with great fervor and much shaking of fists and waving of provincial emblems.

Of course, the beaver was first on everyone's list - either for promoting or bashing. Already a key feature of our coat of arms, and credited with being the real force that opened up this country, the beaver seemed, to many, to be so quintessentially "Canadian".

Hard-working, industrious, an engineer and community-builder with strong sense of family - so many positive things in the character of this self-effacing little creature resonated with the Canadian character.

On the other side of the nickel, pun intended, were those who felt we needed a stronger sense of ourselves - a more aggressive and glamorous image than than that of a nation of modest folk who went about our business, quietly and efficiently getting things done. ...and nice - such nice folk we are, too.

Our nearest neighbors seemed to have a very strong sense or their identity - they knew exactly who they were and had no problem letting everyone know about it. ...and in the days before the C.R.T.C. required a certain level of Canadian content, we had a steady diet of American television to tell us all about it.

After all, when your emblem is a mighty Eagle, and your national character is forged around such romantic figures as Pilgrim Fathers, Independence fighters, and Wild West cowboys, you already have a pretty impressive lineage to live up to.

Americans are justly proud of their heritage, and have every right to celebrate their best qualities. Canadians, especially in the 1960s, were a little unsure of exactly who we were in a global context. We liked all our positive qualities, and what we were known for - but a beaver? How totally unglamorous.

All this questioning about our image and our symbols were part and parcel of the great flag debate.

Canada, From Coast to Coast - Jogfree (as it is called in the Ottawa Valley, according to Charlie Farquarson - geography, to the rest of us):

For those of you non-Canadians who may be unfamiliar with our regions, Canada is officially divided into ten (10) provinces, and three (3) territories. Each of the provinces and territories has its own capital city (much like a State capital), its own provincial flag, and its own flower and/or emblem.

Canada is also divided into geographical areas by virtue of its many plains, river, and majestic mountain ranges, and, as well, into ideological areas. These ideological areas are as diverse as the character of those who inhabit them, and the names of these areas tend to differ somewhat, depending on where in the country the "namee" resides.

The main areas are:

• The West Coast - this designation tends to unfairly include all of British Columbia, and is also known by a number of designation revolving around nuts and flakes, the mildest of which is "California North", referring, I am sure to the climate, rather than any political disposition. Home to rhododendron trees, hydrangea groves,sage brush and cattle country, Stanley Park, the Lion's Gate Bridge, and the Gulf Islands - also known as "God's country", to its residents
  
• The Northwest Coast - a designation rarely used except by a Northwest coaster, to differentiate themselves from the "lower mainlanders", who, as they are not fishermen, hunters, nor loggers, are viewed with some suspicion - also known as "God's country", to its residents
• Out West - used by an Easterner, this area usually includes B.C., and sometimes, Saskatchewan, but, technically speaking, should only include Alberta, especially if you are an Albertan, with a proud heritage of ranchers, oilmen, hunters, farmers, fishermen, and rugged individualists. Home to the mighty Peace River, Writing on Stone Provincial Park, The Hoodoos, Dinosaur country, and the Rocky Mountains - also known as "God's country", to its residents
• The Prairies - also referred to as "miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles", but usually only by Easterners, or first-time visitors. Comprised of Saskatchewan, and much of southern Manitoba, though some rather uncharitably lump southern Alberta in there, too, this region is thought to be the land that gave birth to the phrase, "Are we there yet?" - usually uttered by small children, Easterners, and first time visitors to the prairies. Home to waving fields of wheat, great softball teams, the Qu'appelle Valley, the white sand beaches of Lake Winnipeg, and curiously enough, birthplace of great sailors - also known as "God's country", to its residents
• Up North - this area includes Northern Alberta, the Hudson Bay region of Northern Manitoba, all of Yukon, Nunavut, and Keewatin Territories, and parts of Northern Quebec, and any bordering areas where the residents demonstrate the same hardy reliance on self. Home to traditional hunters, trappers, artists, and internationally renown Canadian diamonds - also known as "God's country", to its residents
• Down South (also known as "Outside" to a Northerner) - anywhere other than "Up North"
• Out East - sometimes called Upper Canada by Ontario residents, but not outside of Ontario, this region includes Ontario, the Ottawa Valley (a very different region, both ideologically AND linguistically,) Toronto (as far as Torontonians as concerned, the known hub of the civilized world, second only to New York), and Quebec. This region is also home to such diverse scenery as the rugged Precambrian shield, rolling farmlands, Georgian Bay, Olde-Town Montreal, and excellent maple sugar bush country - also known as "God's country", to its residents
• Down East - also known as "The Maritimes", this picturesque area includes New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the stately homes of some of our first settlers, Peggy's Cove, Magnetic Hill, the Reversing Falls, the start of the Evangeline Trail, fresh lobster, and some of the finest fiddle music this side of heaven - also known as "God's country", to its residents
• The Rock - politically designated as Newfoundland-Labrador (no-one is quite sure what to do with Labrador except the long-suffering folk who actually live there), this amazing region is home to some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the world, from fragile high-alpine parklands, to rocky coastal vistas, Viking settlements of long ago, and fishing villages that make your camera fairly leap out of your pocket. Inhabited by some of the finest musicians and humorists ever to grace a concert hall stage or dining room get-together, this blessed, sometimes benighted region actually is "God's country" - just don't tell the rest of Canada.
  

...but to get back to the flag debate...

This issue of our nation's flag was not only widely debated in Parliament, it also became a national contest, with everyone from school children to professional artists submitting their hand-drawn and colored offerings for our delectation.

Star Weekly Magazine, a national weekend news-magazine that arrived with a pages-long comic section that featured such notable strips as Prince Valiant, Terry and the Pirates, Pogo, Little Orphan Annie, and Dick Tracy, published the best of the entries every week, and flag fever swept the country. Everybody had an opinion about which flag we should adopt - the Red Ensign, the Union Jack. Not many seemed terribly enamored of the idea of a brand new flag, at least in the beginning.

Furthermore, as our new flag was to be an expression of national unity - a thing of which there was precious little in Canada in that tumultuous time. We desperately needed a new emblem - something rich in symbolism, and immediately recognizably as "Canadian", but without too many overtones or obvious cultural leanings.

Once the idea of using the maple leaf caught on, the tide of public opinion began to turn away from the older flags, in favor of a new emblem. Probably the most popular of all the maple leaf renditions was one that featured blue borders at either end, symbolizing our motto "from sea to sea".

In the end, after much acrimony and a bit of political hanky-panky involving a stacked vote and some back-room maneuvering, our new flag and symbol of national unity finally emerged. The official ceremony inaugurating the new Canadian flag was held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on February 15, 1965, with Governor General Georges Vanier in and Prime Minister Lester Pearson officiating.

...and after all the dust settled, it was, indeed, something to sing about!

© 2010, Text by Elle Fredine, All rights reserved