Let’s Chat: Flag means freedom

By Linda Tooth on February 19, 2025.

I never really understood the history of our Canadian flag as it celebrated its 60th anniversary on Feb. 1. I was intrigued by the advertisements I was seeing on TV regarding a day I was ignorant about. What really caught my attention was the fact I am almost as young as our flag.

Let me tell you how this all transpired.

I was sitting in a hotel in Calgary watching the Canada vs United States hockey game when the announcer came on prior to the singing of both national anthems, and I heard him say, “Please be respectful of all national anthems,” with both flags displayed on ice. What has happened to us that we need to be reminded to be respectful to another country’s flag and national anthem?

Now I am not naive about what is going on in this world, specifically down south. I think if anything good is going to come out of this nonsense, it is that we as a country have come together, regardless of the province or territory we live in.

Anyway, I’ll get back to the flag and our day of celebration.

Off to the university of Google I went and did some checking on our flag and the history behind it. According to the Government of Canada website, our ancestors began the drive for a national flag during the 19th and 20th centuries.

History tells us that any wars fought prior to the 1960s saw our country fight under flags with British themes, like the Union Jack, as a sign of our connection to Great Britain. It was Lester B Pearson’s drive to solve “the flag problem” and create something in time for our 100th anniversary of Confederation in 1967 that saw us adopt and proudly fly the flag we have today.

Pearson saw us as a “unified and independent country” and wanted a flag to represent that.

Now you may wonder, why the maple leaf? Some say its roots can be traced back to Indigenous peoples and their love of the maple tree and its sweet tasting sap. Others say it has always been a symbol of our national identity.

Whatever you believe, I hope you took a moment to enjoy National Flag of Canada Day.

By the time this comes to print, I will be in Mexico enjoying some time for self care. The last 15 months have been hectic with health issues and work issues. I decided to take time away from the frigid and icy conditions to enjoy some sunshine and read by myself. I will be writing on my experiences. Stay tuned.

Have a Meowtastic Day and keep reading.

Linda Tooth is a part-time communications instructor at Medicine Hat College

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