World

February 15 marks Flag Day in Canada

by Amy Judd | February 14, 2009 at 05:40 pm

317 views | 14 Recommendations | 3 comments

Sunday February 15 is National Flag Day in Canada; February 15 1965 was when the Maple Leaf design that Canada has for its flag now was first unveiled on Parliament Hill.

This day is raising some concerns about the topic of pride in Canada and whether the youth in the country really feel any pride for where they live.

"Historically, schools in both Canada and the United States have been seen as instruments of inculcating patriotism, that schools should be charged with teaching children to love their country," said Joel Westheimer, author of Pledging Allegiance: The Politics of Patriotism in American Schools.

Officials want more patriotic topcis discussed in schools that will encourage more young people to vote and will allow more people to know about the country they live in.

The Maple Leaf flag that represents Canada today went through a few changes before it became this design.

During the time of Confederation, the Candian flag was the Union Jack from the United Kingdom until Sir John A MacDonald, Canada's first Prime Minister, flew the Canadian Red Ensign, which was the design until Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson decided to change it.
The current flag was the winner of three possible designs.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Paschen

at 01:40 on February 15th, 2009

The story of the Canadian flag is rather interesting and still very young as well.

Bunmaster

at 22:47 on February 16th, 2009

Taken in Winnipeg, Manitoba (June 2008) at the Forks.

Bunmaster has contributed a photo to this story.

Fripouille

at 01:29 on February 17th, 2009

Happy flag day to Canada!

On the subject of Canada, I wish someone would post, objectively, on the seemingly tortuous and incestuous relationship that Canada has with France. It seems so complicated to me. For example, people talk about 'independance'. Isn't Canada independant.

Maybe I'm just not seeing it right.....

Concerning pride, the same problems exist here in France. Many analysts think it's because France has no established symbolic "core". England has the Queen, America has the flag. But here in France, when polled on that issue, peoples' answers included The president, Joan of Arc, the Republique, the Revolution and others. That's part of what they call here "la crise d'identité". There is no commonly accepted view of what France "is".