Flag of Manitoba
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The flag of Manitoba consists of a Red Ensign defaced with the shield of the provincial coat of arms. Adopted in 1965 shortly after the new
national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours a ...
was inaugurated, it has been the flag of
the province ''The Province'' is a daily newspaper published in tabloid format in British Columbia by Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, alongside the '' Vancouver Sun'' broadsheet newspaper. Together, they are British Columbia's ...
since May 12 of the following year. Its adoption was intended to maintain the legacy of the
Canadian Red Ensign The Canadian Red Ensign (french: Enseigne Rouge Canadienne ) served as a nautical flag and civil ensign for Canada from 1892 to 1965, and later as the ''de facto'' flag of Canada before 1965. The flag is a British red ensign, with the Royal Un ...
as the country's unofficial flag, after the adoption of the Maple Leaf Flag in 1965. Manitoba's flag has been frequently mistaken for the flag of the neighbouring province of
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, which is also a Red Ensign with its respective coat of arms. This has led some Manitobans to call for a new and more distinct flag.


History

The '' Manitoba Act'' received
royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...
on May 12, 1870, allowing for the creation of the province of
Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
; it officially joined
Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical iss ...
two months later on July 15. On August 2 of that same year, an
Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...
was promulgated to establish a seal for the new province. It featured the Cross of Saint George at the
chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the bo ...
and a
bison Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North A ...
on a green field for the lower portion. Subsequently, King Edward VII issued a Royal Warrant on May 10, 1905, allowing Manitoba to utilize their own coat of arms. At the time, this consisted solely of a
shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of ...
identical to the Great Seal of the province. On February 15, 1965, the federal government introduced a new national flag featuring a
maple leaf The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree. It is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada. History of use in Canada By the early 1700s, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by the French Canadians along th ...
to replace the
Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
(the official flag) and the
Canadian Red Ensign The Canadian Red Ensign (french: Enseigne Rouge Canadienne ) served as a nautical flag and civil ensign for Canada from 1892 to 1965, and later as the ''de facto'' flag of Canada before 1965. The flag is a British red ensign, with the Royal Un ...
, the country's
civil ensign A civil ensign is an ensign (maritime flag) used by civilian vessels to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from the state ensign and the naval ensign (or war ensign). It is also known as the merchant ensign or merchant flag ...
at the time that had been used unofficially as the national flag. The Great Canadian Flag Debate that preceded this change showed there were still parts of Canada where
imperialist Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
nostalgia was strong. Lamenting the demise of the Canadian Red Ensign, its proponents in those regions endeavoured to have it modified as a provincial flag. Resistance to the new national flag was most vociferous in the rural areas of
Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
and
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. Consequently, both provinces chose to incorporate the Red Ensign into their official flags. In Manitoba, Maitland Steinkopf – the Provincial Secretary at the time – favoured a contest to design a provincial flag from scratch. In order to meet halfway with those who wanted to utilize the Canadian Red Ensign as Manitoba's flag without modification, the Red Ensign was selected but the provincial shield was employed instead of the national one. The Act of
Legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...
that tabled this flag received royal assent on May 11, 1965. The provincial government subsequently sought approval from
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
, since this entailed defacing a British flag; this was granted on August 27 of that same year. The new flag was first hoisted officially on May 12, 1966. One of the two flag-raisers at that ceremony was a descendant of Thomas Button, the British explorer who in 1612 raised the first British flag over what is now Manitoba. In an online survey conducted in 2001 by the
North American Vexillological Association The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) is a membership organization devoted to vexillology, the scientific and scholarly study of flags. It was founded in 1967 by American vexillologist Whitney Smith (1940–2016), and others. It ...
, Manitoba's flag ranked in the bottom half of
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
, provincial and territorial flags from
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, and select current and former
territories of the United States Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sove ...
. It finished in 44th place out of 72 – one spot behind Ontario's flag – and finished last among Canadian flags. The Association was of the opinion that the flag lacked distinctiveness. It recommended making the bison as a central figure, as well as doing away with the Union Jack in the canton.


Modern day

Due to the similarities shared by the Manitoba flag with the flag of neighbouring
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
– with the bottom part of their escutcheons being the sole difference – the two pennants have often been mistaken for one another. Others have complained that it is an anachronistic remnant of British colonial rule over Manitoba. These issues have brought about calls by some Manitobans for a new flag unique to their home province that would represent it better. A motion calling for a change to the flag was put forward on the program at the provincial New Democratic Party's annual convention in March 2009. However, it failed to make the deadline to get voted on and consequently did not proceed further. Coupled with the fact that the Progressive Conservative Party – which in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
won the largest majority in the province's history and were re-elected in 2019 – are in favour of the status quo given its connection to Manitoba's origins, the prospect of changing the flag in the near future appears to be remote. The 150th anniversary of Manitoba's entrance into Confederation in 2020 led to renewed calls for a redesign of the flag.


Design


Description

The flag of Manitoba is described in detail in ''The Provincial Flag Act'', provincial legislation that has been in force from February 1, 1988. It specifies the flag is to have an aspect ratio of 2:1, "with the
Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
occupying the upper quarter next the staff and with the shield of the armorial ensigns of the province centred in the half farthest from the staff." The flag's
blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vi ...
– as outlined in the letters patent registering it with the
Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for t ...
on November 15, 2010 – reads, "Gules an escutcheon of the Arms of Manitoba, a canton of the Royal Union Flag proper". The official colour scheme follows the British Admiralty Colour Code, with  T1144 utilized for nylon worsted bunting, and No. T818A for any other bunting. This roughly corresponds to the
Pantone Matching System Pantone LLC (stylized as PANTONE) is a limited liability company headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary color space used in a variety of industries, notably graphic ...
as indicated below.


Symbolism

The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. According to
Auguste Vachon Auguste Georges Vachon, is a Canadian officer of arms. He held the post of Saint-Laurent Herald of Arms in Ordinary at the Canadian Heraldic Authority from its foundation in 1988 until his retirement in 2000. Since then, he has served as Outa ...
, the bison evokes the
Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
living in the province, such as the
Assiniboine The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakod ...
and the Cree. Bison was an integral part of their livelihood, serving as a source of food and clothing. The Cross of Saint George alludes to the patron saint of England, as well as to the arms of the
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...
(HBC), which ruled over the land that is now Manitoba. The Red Ensign is a conspicuous symbol of
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
, Canada's mother country.


Similarities

In addition to the aforementioned resemblance with the flag of Ontario and the Canadian Red Ensign, the Manitoban flag bears a likeness to the flag of the HBC. The company was the only private firm ever permitted to use the modified Red Ensign in its day-to-day operations, and its flag was frequently confused with that of several Canadian provinces. Manitoba's flag is also analogous to the flag of Bermuda.


Protocol

Advice regarding flag etiquette is the responsibility of the province's Protocol Office. When flown together with the flag of Canada and the other provincial and territorial flags, the flag of Manitoba is sixth in the
order of precedence An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance and can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments, for very formal and state o ...
(after the national flag and, in descending order of precedence, the flags of Ontario,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
,
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
, and
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
). This is because it was the fifth province to enter into Confederation, and the first one to join after the establishment of the Dominion on July 1, 1867. In addition to the dates set out by the federal government for flying flags at
half-mast Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salut ...
, the provincial flag is half-masted upon the death of the Lieutenant Governor or premier (either an incumbent or a previous one) and may also be flown in such a manner when an individual honoured by Manitoba dies. Moreover, the flags situated at the province's Legislative Building are lowered to half-mast upon the death of a soldier who was born or raised in Manitoba, or who was last stationed in the province before being deployed abroad.


Other versions of the provincial flag

File:Flag of the Province of Manitoba.svg, Design registered in the
Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for t ...


See also

*
Coat of arms of Manitoba A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a ...
*
Symbols of Manitoba There are several symbols of Manitoba, one of the ten provinces of Canada.https://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/visiting/docs/symbolsofmanitoba.pdf These symbols are designated by ''The Coat of Arms, Emblems and the Manitoba Tartan Act'', which came i ...


References


External links

*
Manitoba's provincial symbols – Canadian Heritage
Government of Canada {{DEFAULTSORT:Manitoba, Flag of Flag Flags of Canada Red Ensigns Flags introduced in 1966 Flags displaying animals Flag controversies