Canadian pale

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Flag of Canada, for which the term is named Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
Flag of Canada, for which the term is named

In heraldry and vexillology, a Canadian pale is a centre band of a vertical triband flag (a pale in heraldry) that covers half the length of a flag, rather than a third as in most triband designs. This allows more space to display a central image (common charge). The name was suggested by Sir Conrad Swan, Rouge Dragon Pursuivant (a heraldic office in Britain), and first used by Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada proclaiming the new Canadian flag on 28 January 1965. [1]

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The classic Canadian pale is a square central panel occupying half of a flag with 1:2 proportions. However, vexillological usage applies it to any central band that is half the width of the flag, even if this renders it non-square. The term Canadian pale is also used for flags which do not originate in Canada. The 3:5 Flag of Mississippi and proposed flag of Taiwan and the 7:11 flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are all described as having a Canadian pale.

The Canadian pale is a popular feature of sub-national, civic and personal heraldry from Canada developed after 1965. A few examples can be found in the flag of Yukon, the flag of the city of Edmonton, Alberta, the arms of Athabaska University, and in the arms of numerous individual recipients. [2]

The term is sometimes used in an even looser sense to refer to any flag with a larger central panel, irrespective of whether or not it covers half the flag. By this looser description, the flag of Norfolk Island (stripes in a ratio of 7:9:7) and the flag of Iowa (ratio legally undefined, but usually the central stripe is less than twice that of the outer stripes) are sometimes considered to have a Canadian pale.

By analogy, any flag which has a central horizontal stripe that is half the height of the flag is sometimes said to have a Spanish fess.

Heraldry

In coats of arms, and heraldry in general, a 'Canadian pale' is what might well be referred to in South African heraldry as a 'broad pale' as its width is half that of the shield on which it is shown as opposed to the ordinary pale's third to a quarter. They are most commonly used in Canadian heraldry.

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In heraldry, an ordinary is one of the two main types of charges, beside the mobile charges. An ordinary is a simple geometrical figure, bounded by straight lines and running from side to side or top to bottom of the shield. There are also some geometric charges known as subordinaries, which have been given lesser status by some heraldic writers, though most have been in use as long as the traditional ordinaries. Diminutives of ordinaries and some subordinaries are charges of the same shape, though thinner. Most of the ordinaries are theoretically said to occupy one-third of the shield; but this is rarely observed in practice, except when the ordinary is the only charge.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale (heraldry)</span> Vertical stripe

In heraldry and vexillology, a pale is a charge consisting of a band running vertically down the centre of a shield or flag. Writers broadly agree that the width of the pale ranges from about one-fifth to about one-third of the width of the shield, but this width is not fixed. A narrow pale is more likely if it is uncharged, that is, if it does not have other objects placed on it. If charged, the pale is typically wider to allow room for the objects depicted there.

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References

  1. Kibbey, Stephen, ed. (September 2006). "Did you know... ?" (PDF). The Seaxe: Newsletter of the Middlesex Heraldry Society (52). Ealing, London: Middlesex Heraldry Society: 12. Retrieved December 26, 2011. For a fuller account see 'A King in Canada' by Sir Conrad Swan, pp.242-247.
  2. General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor (2020-11-12). "The Public Register of Arms, Flags, and Badges of Canada". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2023-02-22.