Canadian Red Ensign

Used by Red Ensign from 1957 to 1965.
Aspect ratio 1: 2

Blue Ensign of the Royal Canadian Navy until 1965,
aspect ratio 1: 2

The Canadian Red Ensign was the official flag of Canada from 1868 to 1965, but was never confirmed by parliament . It consists of the classic Red Ensign with a coat of arms of Canada in the middle of the right half.

history

The flag goes back to the Red Ensign of the United Kingdom and was used on an informal basis from around 1868. From 1892 it was initially the trade flag , and by 1904 it replaced the Union Flag as the official flag in front of Parliament in Ottawa . In 1921 it was changed slightly, as the Canadian coat of arms contained in it had also been changed. In 1924 it was placed in front of all public Canadian buildings abroad, and in 1945 it again replaced the Union Flag in front of Parliament and all other public institutions in and outside Canada.

On December 15, 1965, the Red Ensign was replaced by the new flag of Canada , as the Canadian people, especially the French Canadians, wanted a greater separation from the British Empire .

The Royal Canadian Navy used a similar Blue Ensign with the coat of arms of Canada.

Other Canadian Red Ensigns

Flag of Manitoba,
aspect ratio 1: 2

Flag of Ontario
1: 2 aspect ratio

Today two provinces of Canada still have Red Ensigns as their official flags. Conservative parties prevailed in Ontario and Manitoba and after the change to the new Canadian flag received the Red Ensign as the official flag in their provinces. The coat of arms of the provinces is shown on these flags instead of the Canadian coat of arms.

The Canadian Red Ensign today

Today, the Canadian Red Ensign is officially only used in museums and memorials. Traditionalists, monarchists and supporters of the British Empire use them today to represent their opposition to the government. There have also been some recent appearances by Canadian neo-Nazis with this flag.

Web links

Commons : Canadian Red Ensign  collection of images, videos, and audio files

• Red and Blue Ensigns, Canada History of Flags with Chronology
• The Flags of Canada The History of the Flag by Alister B. Fraser
• Chronology of the Canadian Red Ensign
• Canada - history of the flag (1867-1870)
• Canada - history of the flag (1870-1873)
• Canada - history of the flag (1873-1892)
• Canada - history of the flag (1892-1907)
• Canada - history of the flag (1907-1921)
• Canada - history of the flag (1921-1957)
• Canada - history of the flag (1957-1965)

Individual proof

1. ^ Graeme Hamilton: Former Canadian flag, the Red Ensign, gets new, darker life as far-right symbol. In: National Post. July 10, 2017, accessed October 10, 2018 .