Feb 15th - Flag Day!

Did you know Canada.. today, February 15th, is National Flag Day!!

First declared in 1996, it marks the day in 1965 when our red and white maple leaf flag was first raised over Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

You can read about the history of our flag here. Although I'm sure I knew it, I was still shocked to read our flag was debated on in Parliment from Oct-Dec 1964, and on January 28, 1965, the National Flag of Canada was proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to take effect on February 15, 1965 - which brings us, of course, to flag day on February 15th. Went I think back to history I would have though our flag was older than that.

Although the official flag did not come about until the mid sixty's, the red and white of our flag were designated as Canada's official colours in 1921 by His Majesty King George V and the maple leaf has actually been used as an emblem in Canada since the eighteenth century. It was often served to distinguish Canadians abroad, for example it was used to represent Canada at our first time in the Olympians in 1904.

Did you know our flags history?