Most provincial and territorial flags were created in the 1960s after the painful national debate about choosing a new Canadian flag. Not wanting to reignite the same controversies, the provinces and territories all played it safe by utilizing their respective coat of arms as the main feature of their flags. Manitoba and Ontario went one step further by choosing the Red Ensign, a design people were very familiar with.
Here's a look at the components that make up the flag and how it came into being 55 years ago.
The British Ensign is a sort of default flag used by thousands of ships and representing hundreds of land masses and organizations associated with the former British Empire. It has been around since the 1600s with its origins on the high seas.
There are red, blue and white variants of the ensign and are often embellished, or "defaced" as it is officially described, with a coat of arms or other insignia.
The common feature of these flags is the Union Jack in the upper left corner. It superimposes the crosses of St. George, to represent England, St. Andrew for Scotland and St. Patrick of Ireland. The Union Jack, usually called the Union Flag when flown on land, is known officially in Canada as the Royal Union Flag.
Canada had its own version of the Red Ensign. The Canadian Red Ensign had been around since 1868 with updates every few years to reflect the often changing Canadian coat of arms. It was never Canada's official flag, that was the Royal Union Flag, but it was so widely used that it became synonymous with the country both at home and abroad.
The three finalists for Canada's national flag (For more)
There were many who were fine with the idea of a new flag, but the myriad of design choices created a popularity contest. Everyone had their own opinion of what a new flag should or should not look like and it split friends, families and political parties.
In the end, the single maple leaf design was chosen as the new national flag for Canada in December 1964 and flown for the first time on Parliament Hill on February 15, 1965.
Provincial coats of arms and flags
The national flag campaign spurred many provinces, including Manitoba, into introducing their own flags. Nine of Canada's thirteen provincial and territorial flags were adopted in the 1960s, (Quebec and Nova Scotia already had their own, Newfoundland introduced theirs in 1980 and Nunavut was not created until 1999.)
The provinces and territories were wary of repeating the mistakes made by the federal government and played it safe.
The 1960s flags all used their respective province's coat of arms for their designs. The two territories went a step further and created tricolours to surround theirs and Saskatchewan really pushed the boat out by adding two horizontal bands of colour and including a prairie lily, its provincial flower.
December 26, 1963, Winnipeg Free Press
Like most provinces, Manitoba didn't have a provincial flag at the time the federal government adopted the new national flag. The provincial standard flown on provincial buildings, over the legislature and at schools was the Royal Union Flag.
The first hint at a new flag came in December 1963 when one of the thirteen centennial celebration committees announced by the provincial government was a flag committee chaired by Justice C. C. Sparling of Winnipeg.
The announcement came as the country was still in the midst of the national debate and it was decided that the committee wouldn't become active until that flag had been chosen.
Steinkopf in February 1970, Winnipeg Tribune
The man in charge of the centennial committees was provincial secretary Maitland Steinkopf, who was also chair of the Manitoba Centennial Corporation. This was the entity charged with funding, and in some cases organizing, the hundreds of capital projects, promotions, concerts and other festivities that would coincide with Canada's centennial in 1967 and Manitoba's centennial in 1970.
Steinkopf, a keen promoter, thought it was important that Manitoba have a new provincial symbol in time for the centennial to rally around and for other "promotional benefits". It would be created after a couple of design competitions, one for professional designers and the other for schoolchildren.
In December 1965, as the Manitoba flag committee was set to start its work, Steinkopf reiterated his position that Manitoba needed a flag "in the worst way". Not everyone was convinced.
The Winnipeg Free Press wrote in a December 15, 1964 editorial, "...there is something dreadfully accurate in Mr. Maitland Steinkopf's statement that Manitoba needs a flag 'in the worst way'. Undeterred about what has happened trying to choose a national flag, the Roblin government is launching a project next month to give Manitobans a provincial flag."
Some, such as provincial Liberal leader Gil Molgat, questioned why Manitoba needed a flag at all as he saw it serving no useful purpose.
Manitoba Legislature flying the Royal Union Flag, ca. 1920s. Source.
The three provinces that set about creating provincial flags in 1965 - Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba - were all said to be considering a Red Ensign as a way to keep a variation of the now retired flag around.
In March 1965, after it was reported that Alberta was going this route, Social Credit MLA Romeo Lamothe reminded the legislature that it would be unpopular with Alberta's "ethnic communities". (When the Alberta flag was finally proclaimed in 1968 it featured its coat of arms on a solid blue background.)
Also in March 1965, Ontario premier John P. Robarts introduced a bill in the Ontario legislature to adopt the Red Ensign with the Ontario coat of arms as their flag. It was proclaimed weeks later.
In an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press on February 11, 1965, just four days before the new national flag was to be officially flown for the fist time in Ottawa, Roblin said that he personally favoured a Red Ensign but stressed that the decision was the responsibility of the centennial flag committee.
After that, the issue stayed out of the papers as Roblin and Steinkopf remained tight lipped. In March 1965, after news of Ontario's flag choice, Gil Molgat asked Roblin on the floor of the legislature what the plan was for a Manitoba flag. Roblin replied, "I am not able to give any answer at this time."
The answer came a little more than a month later when Maitland Steinkopf introduced a bill on the floor of the legislature on May 5, 1965 calling for a Red Ensign with Manitoba coat of arms to be Manitoba's new flag. He cited "strong historical precedent" and went on to say, "But more important, it reflects the general wishes and sentiments of the people of Manitoba for whom the Canadian Red Ensign - which we propose to adapt to provincial purposes - has such a special meaning."
The Winnipeg Tribune reported that it was voted in favour of by "All of the conservatives, some of the NDP but none of the Liberals." The only member who rose to speak against it was the NDP's Saul Cherniak, who wasn't so much against the design as he was against introducing a flag when nerves were still raw from the national debate.
The quick announcement and vote halted the flag debate before it even got started.
Prior to this, some groups had begun organizing in favour of a Red Ensign campaign, such as the Legion and the local chapter of the Canadian Labour Congress. Those waiting for a design competition to see the other options there were found themselves out of luck.
The newspapers were fine with the choice. The Winnipeg Tribune called it "a handsome link with the past" and a "symbol and spur for a great future for Manitoba".
The few critics were relegated to the letters to the editor page. One, for instance, suggested that a fleur-de-lys be added to to acknowledge the province's French population.
C. J. Jaenen of the department of history at United College wrote in a letter to the editor of the Winnipeg Free Press that the province "... seems to have employed little imagination or historical perception on choosing its provincial flag", suggesting that it was chosen mainly for political advantage to appease those still sore at the loss of the national Red Ensign. He concluded, "Manitoba deserved something more imaginative and evocative of her distinctive history as a keystone province."
Official flag program. Source: Peel's.
There was a long delay after the bill passed as the flag design had to be officially registered and then forwarded to the Queen for her approval. Premier Roblin announced on October 8, 1965 that the approval had been granted. The flag was then signed off on by the Lieutenant Governor and officially proclaimed.
Another long delay took place before the official flying of the flag took place. This was to give flag makers a chance to make the hundreds of flags that would be needed for public buildings, schools and the general public.
This was no doubt to prevent the embarrassment after the Canadian flag was first officially flown in Ottawa. Due to a shortage of supply, many buildings still flew the Red Ensign for weeks after the introduction. In Winnipeg, a flag had to be borrowed from the post office for a few hours so that it could be flown as part of the national ceremony.
May 13, 1966, Winnipeg Tribune
The official flag raising ceremony took place on Thursday, May 12, 1966 in Memorial Park at 3:30 in the afternoon. (The Winnipeg Tribune noted that it was a weekday, so most of the people in attendance were civil servants who got time off to go see it.)
The men chosen to raise the flag were Edward J. Button, a direct descendent of explorer Sir Thomas Button who was believed to have been the first person to display a British flag in what would become Manitoba back in 1612. The other was Cornelius Bignell, former chief of The Pas Indian Band (now known as Opaskwayak Cree Nation), who at the time was the chairman of the Regional Advisory Council on Indian Affairs.
As it was being raised a 40-member Mennonite Children's choir sang O Canada.
Source: Argyle Flag Museum
Maitland Steinkopf had lost out on his idea of having a prolonged design competition to introduce a flag that people would rally around in the centennial year. He had a second chance to introduce a flag for that purpose in 1969.
Likely taking cues from the controversy of the campaign for a national flag and the non-event of choosing a provincial flag, he went down the easier road. The five-member board of the Manitoba Centennial Corporation approved their own flag and unveiled it at a regional board meeting in Roblin, Manitoba in September 1969.
The flag used the stylized bison in a hexagon, which was the official logo of the centennial, with the years 1870 and 1970 displayed on each side.
When asked to describe the creation of the flag, Steinkopf told reporters, "It would be impossible to have had a flag to meet with everybody's approval. The importance of the flag is not in the design, but the meaning that lies behind it."
Related:
Official program for the raising of the Manitoba flag
Official emblems of Manitoba Province of Manitoba
The great Canadian flag debate CBC Archives
Historic Canadian Flags Canadian Heritage
Manitoba flag gif file from gifgifs.com
© 2020 Christian Cassidy
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