On February 15, let’s celebrate our Canadian flag!

 

On Feb. 15, 1965, Canada’s red and white maple leaf flag was raised for the very first time on Parliament Hill. On that same day in 1996, National Flag Day was declared. 

Our national flag is a symbol that unites Canadians and reflects the values we take pride in: democracy, inclusion and equity. With that in mind we asked military members and civilians at CFB Esquimalt what thoughts, feelings or memories come to mind when they see the Canadian flag.   

Me and my family are from Iqaluit, Nunavut; our flag gives me sense of pride because I love what Canada represents in the world. We are not perfect, but our country is still a great place to be. There is a fair chance for everyone, we continue to strive for equality for everyone and serving makes me proud – the flag represents this pride. 

I will always think of the Canadian flag as representing a country that took my family in and provided me with a really good life. My mom moved to Canada when she was 20 and my family had a hard time in Conway, Wales, with few job prospects and a depressed economy. My great uncle came to Canada to work in the logging and forestry industry and had always encouraged the rest of the family to move here too. The rest of my family always talks very enviously about us being here.

My Dad had a flagpole in front of his home in Lower Millstream, N.B. When our new flag officially came into being, he eventually took down the Union Jack and switched to the maple leaf. All the neighbors were outside watching from their yards the day he declared he was finally going to put the new Canadian flag up. My dad had been mowing the lawn and because they were watching, he decided to take his t-shirt off and run it up the flagpole instead. The neighbors looked surprised and some shocked. He had his laugh for a moment and then put our new Canadian flag up and everybody cheered. He flew the Canadian flag every day while he had that home.