List of proposed Canadian national flags

The following is a list of flags proposed for the Canadian state. ^[1]

Flag	Date	Use	Description
	1895	Sir Donald A. Smith's proposal	A British colonial Red Ensign with green maple leaf in lower fly. [2]
		Sir Sanford Fleming's proposal	A British colonial Red Ensign with a seven-pointed white star in the lower fly that represents the North Star as emblem of Canada its rays symbolizing its then seven provinces. [3] [4]
		H. Spencer Howell of the Canadian Club of Hamilton, Ontario's proposal	A British colonial Red Ensign with green maple leaf on white disc in lower fly. [5] [6]
	1896	E. M. Chadwick's Proposed National Flag / Blue Ensign of Canada	A British Blue Ensign with three conjoined maple leaves in gold as emblem on the fly. Chadwick also proposed a Red Ensign with the same gold maple leaves as Canada's colonial/national emblem. [7]
		E. M. Chadwick's Proposed National Flag and Red Ensign of Canada	A British Red Ensign with three conjoined maple leaves in green on a white disc as badge on the fly. Chadwick also proposed a Blue Ensign with the same maple leaves in red on a white disc as Canada's colonial/national emblem. [8]
	1897	Barlow Cumberland's proposal	A British Red Ensign featuring a green maple leaf on a white diamond in the fly. The diamond is to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and to distinguish the flag among other British colonial ensigns. [9] [10]
	1902	Design reported in the Daily Express to have been proposed as part of a series of Empire flags that would replace the Union Jack in representing individual territories of the British Empire [11]	The Cross of Saint George and the crown in the canton would have been present on all Empire flags to represent the English. In the top right would be the emblem of the territory flying the flag, and in this case, the coat of arms of Canada. A large sun in the centre symbolizes "the empire on which the sun never sets."
	1909	Col. C. F. Hamilton's proposal	A British ensign with plain white field and Union Jack canton. Proposed by Col. C. F. Hamilton, a journalist and intelligence officer, in 1909. The white field was intended to make the flag distinctive among British ensigns, recognizeable at a distance, to evoke Canada's natural geography, and to recognize the French contribution to the nation. [12]
	1916	Manitoba Free Press Proposal	Design inspired by the Australian flag. A British ensign with a white field, with the seven stars of the Big Dipper/Great Bear plus the North Star placed on the fly. [13] Further development of a proposal originally made in October 1909 by C. F. Hamilton in Collier's Canada (a white ensign as flag of Canada). Hamilton strongly criticized the Manitoba Free Press proposal for its use of 'republican' stars. [14]
	1920s	Minnie H. Bowen Proposal	Design featuring the white cross of France on a red field with Union Jack in canton, submitted to PM Mackenzie King's 1925 flag committee. [15] A similar redesign of the red and blue ensigns of Canada was considered by PM Sir Robert Borden's 1919 arms committee. [16]
	1925	A. Fortescue Duguid Proposal	Proposed by Archer Fortescue Duguid as a "Canadian National Flag for Use Ashore" in June 1925. In 1939, the design was adopted as the headquarters flag of the 1st Division of the Canadian Army on the eve of their departure for Europe to serve in the Second World War. It served as the de facto, provisional flag of the Army until officially replaced by the Canadian Red Ensign in 1944. Duguid re-proposed the design as national flag in 1939 at the time it was adopted as the flag of the 1st Canadian Division and, despite the fact that it did not find favor with the troops, again in 1945. [17]
	1926	Winner of the 1926 La Presse contest to design a national flag. Design credited concurrently to Edwin Tappan Adney, Charles Lapierre, Joseph-Edouard Roy, and Isidore Renaud. [18]	The white field recalls the first, "heroic" period of Canada under monarchical France, the Union Jack symbolizes loyalty to Great Britain, and the green maple leaf concretizes the present history of Canada and its aspirations. [19] [20] Design submitted to the 1945-46 Parliamentary flag committee and one of the last to be eliminated from consideration. [21] [22]
	1931	Gérard Gallienne's Proposal	A blue-red-blue vertical triband fimbriated by white bars (pallets) with the Canadian coat of arms placed in the centre. The blue bars symbolize the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and Canada's National Motto, A mari usque ad mare ('From sea to sea'), and the red Canada's land. [23] [24] [25] [26]
	1939	Ephrem Côté's Proposal	A blue-white-red diagonal triband (white bend sinister on a field party per bend sinister blue and red), with a Union Jack in upper hoist, green maple leaf centre, and white fleur-de-lis lower fly. [27] [28]
	c.1943	Ligue du Drapeau National's proposal for Flag of Canada, endorsed by the Native Sons of Canada in 1946	A red and white field divided diagaonally (per bend) defaced by a green maple leaf placed in the centre. Proposed by the Ligue du Drapeau National c. 1943. [29] One of the two final designs considered by the 1945-1946 parliamentary joint committee to choose a national flag. [30] Adopted and promoted by the Native Sons of Canada from 1946. [31] [32]
	1944	Eugène Achard's Proposal	On a blue field, a white symmetric cross surmounted by a red cross, charged by a green maple leaf ringed by nine white five-pointed stars. [33]
	1945	A. Fortescue Duguid's second Proposal	Three red maple leaves conjoined with a single stem on a white field. Originally proposed by Canadian armed forces heraldist and vexillologist Col. A. Fortecue Duguid during the 1945-1946 Parliamentary committee deliberations. [34] Later re-proposed by PM Pearson's parliamentary secretary John R. Matheson in 1963. [35] Publicly supported by ex-PM and opposition leader John Diefenbaker during 1964 Great Flag Debate. [36]
	1946	Parliamentary Joint Committee's final selection	A red British ensign defaced with a large golden maple leaf outlined in white in the fly. [37] [38] [39] Selected by a 1945-1946 Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons but never submitted to parliament for a vote. [40]
		D. F. Stedman's proposal	A blue field with red and white diagonal and vertical bars of varying breadth. Derived from the British Union Jack and French Tricolour and intended to represent British, French, and Native 'founding' peoples. [41]
	1954	Florian A. Legace's proposal - the 'Canadian Union Jack'	A white cross on a red and blue quartered field, a green maple leaf centre. White "Cross of Sacrifice" after usage of Canadian Legion. Deep red of Union Jack, royal blue quarters intended to be intermediate between dark blue of the Union Jack and azure of the Fleurdelisé Flag of Quebec. The points on the maple leaf symbolize its individual provinces and territories and its green colour Canada's natural resources and the evergreens found coast to coast. [42]
		John Lorne MacDougall's proposal	Red field with white side/flank in the hoist charged with a shield featuring the Union Jack of Great Britain and three golden fleurs-de-lis of royalist France/Quebec over which are three green maple leaves and a Tudor crown. One of several variants devised by an all-province study group of Liberal MPs convened by Bona Arsenault in 1954. [43] [44]
		Jean-François Pouliot's Proposal	Green, detailed maple leaf on a plain red field. [45] [46]
	1955	Proposal of J.W. Bradfield of the Toronto Young Men's Canadian Club	Quartered banner - upper hoist red with three golden lions, lower fly blue with three white fleurs-de-lis, remaining two white with three red conjoined maple leaves. [47] [48]
		Alan Beddoe's Proposal	A white field charged by three red maple leaves conjoined on one stem with narrow wavy vertical blue bars at hoist and fly. [49]
		André Barbeau's Proposal	A white square centre panel charged with a forest green maple leaf, flanked by blue, white, red vertical bars at hoist and fly. [50]
	1957	Alfred Stagg's Proposal	Blue-white-blue vertical triband charged by a red maple leaf encircled by a red ring. [51] The distinctive leaf appears to be a silver maple rather than the more standard sugar maple.
	1958	Jean Dubuc's Proposal	On a white field, a tripartite symmetric cross in red, white and blue, surmounted by a green maple leaf on a white disc. The white of the field symbolizes the First Nations and Inuit "still in possession of vast expanses of snow and ice of this country". [52]
		Vincent Dupuis's Proposal	Eleven red, white, and blue stripes with a white canton with green maple leaf. The stripes represent Canada's provinces and territories. [53]
	1959	Leslie Frost's Proposal	A Canadian Red Ensign with the Dominion Coat of Arms wreathed by ten maple leaves, representing Canada's ten provinces. Designed by the Premier of Ontario. [54]
		Marcel Boivin's Proposal	Four bands of white, blue, gold, and red. Recreation based on textual description (orientation of bands not specified). [55]
	1962	Luc-André Biron's Proposal	A green Compass rose on a white background, symbolizing both the North Star and the North magnetic pole, situated within the territory of Canada, as emblem of all Canadians without regard to race, ethnicity, or national origin. [56] [57] [58]
	1963	Rolland Lavoie's Proposal	A disc divided in half vertically, coloured red and blue, on a white field. First Prize winner in the 1963 Weekend / Canadian Art magazine design contest. [59] [60] [61]
		James Sanders's Proposal	An abstractly stylized seven-point red maple leaf on a white field. Second Prize winner in the 1963 Weekend / Canadian Art magazine design contest. [62] [63]
		Leslie Coppold's Proposal	A blue and white vertically divided field with an abstractly stylized fifteen-point red maple leaf on the square white fly panel. One of five Fourth Prize winners in the 1963 Weekend / Canadian Art magazine design contest. [64] [65]
		Carl Dair's Proposal	An abstractly stylized five-point red maple leaf on a white field flanked by vertical blue bars. Honorable Mention in the 1963 Weekend / Canadian Art magazine design contest. [66]
		Grant Hewlett's Proposal	A red field as square panel at fly with a white side or flank at hoist, charged with a green 19-point maple leaf. Honorable Mention in the 1963 Weekend / Canadian Art magazine design contest. [67]
	1964	Alan Beddoe's second proposal, made during the Great Flag Debate, favored by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and popularly known as the Pearson Pennant. Parliamentary Committee "Group A" Finalist	A blue field with a white square containing a three-leaf maple. The blue sides were meant to represent John A. Macdonald's description of the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canada's geography, "From sea to sea". Beddoe first submitted a proposed flag of similar design in 1955. [68] The original mid-1964 draft version featured spikey, rounded heraldic maple leaves. [69]
		Reid Scott of the New Democratic Party's proposal, made during the Great Flag Debate.	A white field charged with a single red maple leaf and flanked by two vertical blue bars. [70]
		Proposal made during the Great Flag Debate featuring four maple leaves	Four large maple leaves occupy the centre of the flag. Behind them is a white diamond on a blue background. The leaves are arranged similarly to the modern heraldic mark of the Prime Minister, and their stems form the Cross of Saint George in the middle.
		Proposal made during the Great Flag Debate featuring one maple leaf	The background is like the British flag without the diagonal stripes, there is a green maple leaf in the centre and there are three stars on either side in the red stripe and two stars on either side in the vertical red stripe.
		Proposal made during the Great Flag Debate featuring ten maple leaves	Ten maple leaves are spread across the flag, and they likely represent the provinces. On the left are red leaves on a red background. The right side features the same colours inverted.
		Proposal for Flag of Canada, by George F. G. Stanley	A red-white-red vertical triband, a red field with a white pale, containing a single red 15-point maple leaf. Based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, where Stanley served as Dean of Arts. [71] [72] One of two designs Stanley suggested to John Matheson during the Great Flag Debate.
		George F. G. Stanley's alternate proposal	A red-white-red horizontal triband, a red field with a white fess, containing a three-leaf maple branch. His second option suggested to John Matheson. [73]
		George Matthias Bist's proposal	A critique and redesign of the Pearson Pennant, offered during the Great Flag Debate. Features a red stylized 9-point maple leaf (black maple) on a white square pale, with an 'air force blue' field, or bars on either side. [74] Design credited by John Matheson with inventing the Canadian pale. [75]
		Proposal made during the Great Flag Debate featuring one maple leaf. "Group C" finalist considered by Parliamentary committee.	Identical to "Group B" final choice of 1964 Committee but with Union Flag and royal French banner with three fleurs-de-lis as cantonal charges in upper hoist and fly. Introduced ostensibly to placate supporters of Canadian Red Ensign, [76] [77] eliminated in second to last round of voting.
		Proposal made during Great Flag Debate, Parliamentary Committee "Group B" finalist and Committee final selection.	Final choice of 1964 Parliamentary Joint Committee. Features vertical triband, red-white-red colour scheme, and single maple leaf proposed by George Stanley, George Matthias Bist's broad pale, and 13-point maple leaf designed by Alan Beddoe. [78]
		An intermediate manufactured prototype of the 1964 Parliamentary flag committee's final selection.	An intermediate redesign of the Parliamentary Joint Committee's final selection, featuring a variant 13-point maple leaf. Appears in press images taken in the month of December 1964, including a press agency photograph at the closure of Parliamentary debate [79] and a magazine cover depicting the new flag flying on Parliament Hill. [80]
	1994	Proposed flag for Canada, known as the Canadian Unity Flag	Blue vertical stripes replacing part of the red bands, in approximate proportion to population of French heritage.
	1996	The Unilisé, a flag used by Canadian federalists in Quebec	A banner combining the flags of Canada and Quebec. Made in 1996 after the Quebec independence referendum by federalists who supported remaining with Canada to represent national unity.

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