Canadian Flag, Flag of Canada

Adopted 1965. This flag was only recently adopted in 1965 after public opinion deemed that the old Canadian flag (which was the British Red Ensign with a Canadian coat of arms) held them to an allegiance that they no longer felt. The Maple Leaf depicted on the flag has long since been the unique symbol of Canada. The two vertical red stripes represent the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans with the white space standing for the vast frozen wastelands of the north. Initially the red stripes were to be blue, however they were changed to red in honor of the blood of those Canadians who lost their lives in World War I.