This flag was in use in England since the Crusades and it was one of the national emblems of England as early as 1277. It continued to be the English national flag for almost 400 years.

The French first began to explore and set up colonies in what would eventualy become Canada beginning with Jacques Cartier in 1534 when he landed at Gaspé and claimed what is now Quebec in the name of Francis I of France. He most likely carried the Blue fleur-de-lis as a symbol of French royalty.

With King James I inheritance of the English throne in 1603, the Cross of Saint George was placed over the Scottish Cross of Saint Andrew to form the British Union Flag.

The British Red Ensign, also called the "Colonial Red Ensign" and the "Meteor" Flag, was adopted by Queen Anne (1702-1714) as the new flag for England and her colonies in 1707.

In 1801, the Cross of St. Patrick had been added to the British Union Flag when Ireland joined the Union. This cross was counterchanged with the Cross of St. Andrew.

The British Union Flag, known to the Canadians as "The Royal Union Flag," was considered the "official" flag of Canada, and so it remained for many years, all through World War I, when it was the flag of the Canadian forces.

Although the British Red Ensign was originally designed to be the Merchant Flag used on non-military British ship while at sea, in Canada it was treated as the national flag on land as well. Since the British Union Flag was a semi-royal flag and only flown only on the very most important military buildings on land, the Red Ensign by default was commonly used on land in Canada as a national flag until 1868. After that the Canadians added ensigna (shields) on the red flys to indicate that it was the "Canadian Red Ensign."

Until 1867, the Hudson's Bay Company controlled most of the area of modern Canada west of Ontario. A flag much used in this territory was the British Red Ensign (a red flag with the Union Flag on the canton) with the capital letters H B C in white on the fly: the letters H and B are joined together in a monogram arrangement. One of these flags is displayed in Christ Church Cathedral, in Victoria, British Columbia. The Hudson's Bay Company Ensign continued in use until the company's tercentenary in 1970, at which point it was retired. HBC is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and is one of the oldest in the world. This flag was probably the prototype for the Canadian Red Ensign and several provincial flags.

The North West Company was a fur-trading business started in 1779 in Montreal. After operating for 40 years in the Canadian North-West, it merged with the Hudson Bay Company in 1821. In 1987, a group of investors (including 415 employees) purchased the Northern Stores Division from the Hudson Bay Company and took back its historical name and flag. With 300 years of history under its belt as a provider of food and everyday products and services to remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska, the North West Company is now the oldest retailer on the continent.

In 1868 a royal warrant created the Great Seal of Canada. The first Canadian Red Ensign was created shortly after this (without formal authority) and flown over the Canadian Parliament. This flag was made official in 1892 (after a personal intervention with the British Admiralty, which had the final say on such matters until 1931, by Governor General Stanley (the donor of the Stanley Cup for hockey), and remained so until 1922.

As Canada grew and new territories and provinces were establish, the official versions of the national arms seemed to lag behind reality. The various "UnOfficial" ensigns were unofficial only in so far as they were not recognized by the Admiralty, which regulated the flags to be used to identify ships at sea. While the Canadian Parliament waited for royal approval of updated versions of the national arms, Canadian flag makers didn't. They produced a series of "UnOfficial flags" that the Canadians proudly used on land as a matter of course.
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When the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was established in 1910, there was some dispute as to what ensign and jack Canadian warships should fly. Eventually it was decided that the White Ensign of the British Royal Navy (RN) would be the Canadian naval ensign, and that the Canadian Blue Ensign (already in use as the government ensign) would be the Canadian naval jack. This arrangement, however, was not entirely satisfactory. Since the jack was not flown underway, RCN ships at sea could not be distinguished from those of the RN. During World War I, therefore, Canadian warships began to display a green maple leaf on either side of the forward funnel. This informal insignia was later made official.

This flag was proposed as the Royal Canadian Navy Ensign, but wasn't approved or put into use. When the Naval Service of Canada was established in 1910, the government wanted to adopt the British White Ensign defaced with the Canadian shield as the naval ensign, but the British Admiralty, which had the final say in such matters at that time, would not hear of it.

As the Royal Canadian Navy Jack between 1910-1922, this was the official flag for all government owned vessels (both federal and provincial). This would have included the armed vessels which were transferred to the Naval Service of Canada by the Department of Marine and Fisheries (Canadian Coast Guard) in 1910.

In 1921 a royal proclamation made Royal Arms of Canada into their present form. In 1924 a Canadian Order in Council was passed authorizing the Red Ensign to be flown for limited use over all Government buildings abroad, and that was because the diplomatic service needed to have some flag to fly over Canadian Embassies that was not the Union Jack. In 1945 a Canadian Order in Council made the Canadian Red Ensign the de facto national flag decreeing that until such time as action is taken by Parliament for the formal adoption of a national flag, the Red Ensign may be flown wherever place or occasion may make it desirable to fly a distinctive Canadian flag. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here )

The Royal Canadian Blue Jack was the official flag for all government owned vessels from 1922 to 1957. The Canadian Blue Ensign was also used as jacks on RCN warships.

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In the Second World War, which Canada entered after Britain declared war on Germany, they used the Canadian Red Ensign as their national flag, but also in use was a lesser known battle flag. Canada wanted its army to be distinguishable among the great mass of British troops, and so provided it with, not the Canadian Red Ensign, but this new battle flag.

In 1957 a slight modification was made to the approved artistic interpretation of Canada's arms changing the maple leaves on the Canadian Red Ensign from green to red. The Canadian Red Ensign would continue to be both the Merchant Naval Ensign and defacto national land flag until it was replaced by the Maple Leaf Flag in 1964. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here )

This was the Royal Canadian Blue Jack for all government owned vessels from 1957 to 1964, replacing the 1922-1957 pattern Canadian Blue Ensign.

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The ensign of the Royal Canadian Air Force was based on the ensign of the British Royal Air Force (RAF), a light (sky) blue ensign, but with the Canadian Maple Leaf placed within the roundel. Until the Second World War the RAF ensign was used by the RCAF; the RCAF ensign with the maple leaf roundel began to be used in 1941.

A royal proclamation established the National Flag of Canada in 1964 as the Maple Leaf Flag, which was first officially flown in January of 1965. The use of the Canadian Red and Blue Ensigns, as well as the Royal Canadian Navy White Ensign stopped at this time.

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three Canadian armed services were unified to form the "Canadian Forces." Since 1968, the modern Canadian navy has been known as the Canadian Forces Maritime Command.

The Canadian Coast Guard was created in 1962 to address the need to provide services to mariners in Canadian waters. The Canadian Coast Guard owns and operates the federal government’s civilian fleet, and provides necessary maritime services to Canadians. The Canadian Coast Guard vessels wear the Maple Leaf as an ensign and the Canadian Coast Guard flag as a jack.

The Flag of the Canadian Armed Land Forces (Army) is white with the national flag in the canton. On the fly, there are two crossed swords, partially covered by a red maple leaf.

After 1968, the RCAF was merged with the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy to form the Canadian Forces, and air force functions were under this new command. However, in 1975 Canada's military air services was re-organized into a single command: Canadian Forces Air Command.

The Governor-General (GG) is the the Queen's deputy and carries out the functions of the Crown in her absence. Queen Elizabeth is legally and constitutionally the Head of State of the Dominion of Canada. This box shows the changes in the design of the flag of the Governor-General of Canada since in 1901. In 1869, the crown authorized that Royal Governors of all ranks use a British Union flag defaced with the arms or badge of their colony. In Canada, the Governor-General's flag bore a St. Edward's crown over the badge of Canada. In 1901, the crown was changed to a Tudor crown after Edward VII became King, as shown in the 1901 version here.

In 1921, the badge on the Governor-General's standard was changed to the newest approved coat-of-arms of Canada.

In 1931, a completely new design, first proposed in 1928, became official. The new flag showed the crest from the royal arms on a blue field with a scroll bearing the word "CANADA" placed below it. At first the lion stood on a Tudor crown, but in 1953 a change was made to the design at Queen Elizabeth II request and the Tudor crown was replaced by the St. Edward crown.

In 1981, the Governor-General's flag went through its last major change when the crest of the arms of Canada became the central emblem of the flag. This crest is a crowned lion holding a red maple leaf in its paw, standing on a wreath of the official red and white colors of Canada, on the blue background of the flag.

In 1998, the lion on the Governor-General's flag lost his tongue and claws at the insistence of the Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, who was Governor General from 1995 to 1999. He wanted the lion made more "friendly." When the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson replaced LeBlanc, she quietly changed the flag back to what it had been previous to 1998.

Governor-General's Flag since 1999

This flag is flown from the Governor-General's car, the Governor-General's official residences, and any other building the Governor-General is visiting. On overseas visits, the National Maple Leaf Flag is used more commonly, as it is a more recognizable Canadian symbol. ( Click here for more information about the Canadian government )

This Royal Standard is flown for Queen Elizabeth when she visits her Dominion of Canada. Her title in Canada is "Her Majesty, the Queen of Canada" and she is legally and constitutionally the Head of State of the Dominion of Canada. In her absence the Governor-General (GG) is the Canadian head of state and the Prime Minister (PM) is head of her government.