HAPPY CANADA DAY!

With its centered, red maple leaf flanked on either side by red, the Canadian flag is perhaps one of the most recognized national flags in the world.

While Canada officially became a nation in 1867, they spent many years without a national flag. Instead, they used the British Red Ensign with the Canadian shield on the fly.



It wasn't until the 1960s, when the public made it known that they wanted their own distinctive flag, that the first Canadian flag was designed. The first flag featured three Canadian maple leafs with blue on either side, to represent the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.



However, this initial flag wasn't accepted by the Canadian people, so another effort was made. In 1965 a new Canadian flag was created, incorporating both the maple leaf and the country's colors. The maple leaf is on a background of white, which represents the snowy north of Canada. The red on either side of the maple leaf represents the sacrifice made during World War I by Canadians.