Union Flag

History

In 1964, Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson introduced plans to replace the Union Flag with a new national flag, spurring the Great Canadian flag debate. A new national flag, the Maple Leaf, was approved by the parliament of Canada on 18 December 1964. However, on the following day, the Canadian parliament passed another resolution that designated the Union Flag as the Royal Union Flag and authorised its official use as the symbol of the country's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and its allegiance to the Crown. On 15 February 1965, the maple leaf flag formally replaced the Union Flag as the flag of Canada following an official proclamation by Elizabeth II, with the Royal Union Flag becoming an official ceremonial flag. The Royal Union Flag's specific use as approved by parliament was registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority in May 2005.