Le drapeau canadien

Description

1. Le drapeau est rouge et blanc, couleurs officielles que le roi Georges V a désignées pour le Canada en 1921, avec une feuille d'érable stylisée à onze pointes en son centre.

1. Deux de longueur sur un de largeur.

La naissance du drapeau canadien

C'est en 1925 qu'on commença sérieusement à chercher un nouveau drapeau canadien. Un comité du Conseil privé fut alors chargé d'étudier divers modèles, mais ne put terminer son travail.
Plus tard, en 1946, une commission parlementaire spéciale reçut un mandat semblable. Elle invita des experts et des citoyens à lui soumettre des propositions. Cependant, aucun des 2 600 dessins qui lui furent proposés ne fit l'objet d'un vote au Parlement.
Au début de 1964, le premier ministre Lester B. Pearson fit part à la Chambre des communes du désir du gouvernement d'adopter un drapeau national distinctif. La célébration du centenaire de la Confédération du Canada approchait vite. C'est ainsi qu'un comité mixte du Sénat et de la Chambres des communes a de nouveau demandé qu'on lui soumette des propositions.
Le pays entier était attentif. Le comité tint 46 séances. Il écouta, pendant des heures, de multiples témoignages d'experts en héraldique, d'historiens et de citoyens ordinaires. Il fut inondé de propositions : on lui fit parvenir plus de 2000 dessins. Des milliers de Canadiens soumirent des esquisses de drapeaux, ornées tantôt de castors rongeant des bouleaux, tantôt d'aurores boréales se reflétant dans les eaux de l'océan Arctique.
En octobre 1964, après avoir écarté diverses esquisses, le comité n'en retint que trois : un Red Ensign portant la fleur de lis et l'Union Jack, un dessin comprenant trois feuilles d'érable entre deux bordures bleu ciel, et un drapeau rouge orné d'une feuille d'érable rouge stylisée sur un carré blanc (M. Pearson lui-même préférait le trifolié).
Deux experts en science héraldique ont joué un rôle prépondérant dans la sélection de notre drapeau : Alan Beddoe, capitaine de marine à la retraite et héraldiste conseil de la Marine royale du Canada, et le colonel Fortescue Duguid, héraldiste et historien. Tous deux cependant étaient partisans d'un trifolié.
Les noms de MM. John Matheson et George Stanley sont bien connus dans l'histoire de l'évolution du nouveau drapeau du Canada. M. Matheson, député ontarien à la Chambre des communes, fut peut-être l'un des plus ardents partisans de l'adoption d'un nouveau drapeau et a joué un rôle consultatif clé dans ce processus. Quant à M. Stanley, il était doyen des arts au Collège militaire royal de Kingston et c'est lui qui a fait observer aux membres du comité le fait que le drapeau du commandant du Collège, une feuille d'érable sur un carré rouge et blanc, était très attrayant.
Il reste qu'on ne peut attribuer la conception du drapeau national du Canada à aucune personne en particulier. Au contraire, le modèle choisi repose sur la prise en compte de l'histoire canadienne et résulte de la collaboration de plusieurs Canadiens. Les couleurs rouge, blanc et rouge avaient été employées pour la première fois sur la Médaille du service général créée par la reine Victoria. Par la suite, en 1921, le rouge et le blanc ont été proclamés couleurs nationales du Canada par le roi Georges V. Trois ans plus tôt, le major-général sir Eugene Fiset (qui reçut le titre honorable par la suite) avait recommandé comme emblème pour le Canada une feuille d'érable rouge sur un carré blanc (symbole porté par tous les athlètes olympiques du Canada depuis 1904).
M. Jacques Saint-Cyr a conçu l'un des éléments clés du drapeau national, la feuille d'érable stylisée, tandis que M. Georges Bist, un vétéran de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, a défini les proportions du drapeau, et les couleurs définitives ont été déterminées par M. Gunter Wyszechi. Pour ce qui est de la décision finale quant à tous les aspects du nouveau drapeau, elle a été prise par les quinze membres du comité parlementaire, auquel la conception est officiellement attribuée.
À la fin, le Comité décida de recommander l'unifolié, et ce dernier fut adopté par la Chambre des communes dès le 15 décembre 1964 et par le Sénat le 17 décembre 1964. La proclamation fut signée par Sa Majesté la reine Elizabeth II, reine du Canada, et est entrée en vigueur le 15 février 1965.
Le drapeau national du Canada est donc né près de 100 ans après la création du Dominion du Canada en 1867.


La confection du premier drapeau canadien
Vers la fin de l'automne 1964, par un vendredi après-midi, Ken Donovan reçut sur son bureau une demande urgente du premier ministre Lester B. Pearson. M. Donovan était alors directeur adjoint du service des achats de la Commission des expositions du gouvernement canadien, qui, plus tard, a été intégrée au ministère des Approvisionnements et Services.
Le Premier ministre désirait apporter à sa résidence de Harrington Lake, le lendemain matin, les différents prototypes présentés en vue de l'adoption du nouveau drapeau. Parmi les trois propositions soumises se trouvait le dessin de la feuille d'érable.
M. Donovan et son équipe ne disposaient que de dessins de papier. Alors, ils entreprirent de faire l'impossible : en quelques heures à peine, ils confectionnèrent les prototypes du drapeau. Les graphistes et artisans au pochoir de soie Jean Desrosiers et John Williams furent appelés à travailler ce vendredi soir. Comme il n'y avait pas de couturière sur les lieux, on demanda à la jeune Joan, fille de Ken Donovan, d'assembler et de coudre les drapeaux.
Joan O'Malley (née Donovan) a raconté cet événement lors d'une cérémonie célébrant le 30e anniversaire du drapeau;

1. «Je ne savais pas du tout ce qui m'attendait, quand j'ai reçu ce coup de téléphone de mon père, en 1964. Je pensais juste lui donner un coup de main, et non participer à un événement historique. Je vous dirai que je n'ai rien d'une Betsy Ross. Et il n'a pas été facile de coudre ce drapeau. Je n'étais pas couturière de profession - il m'était juste arrivé de confectionner quelques-uns de mes vêtements. Ma machine à coudre n'avait pas été conçue pour un tissu si épais. Mais, peu à peu, le drapeau a pris forme.
   À l'époque, j'avais beaucoup mieux à faire de mes vendredis soirs. En fait, mon père était bien plus emballé que moi de toute cette aventure: c'est lui qui allait livrer les prototypes à la résidence de M. Pearson.
   Je me rendais peu compte de l'importance de ce qu'on m'avait demandé de faire; mais j'étais heureuse de coudre les prototypes du drapeau. On ne reçoit pas une telle requête tous les jours.»
   

Birth of the Canadian flag

The search for a new Canadian flag started in earnest in 1925 when a committee of the Privy Council began to research possible designs for a national flag. However, the work of the committee was never completed. 
Later, in 1946, a select parliamentary committee was appointed with a similar mandate, called for submissions and received more than 2,600 designs. Still, the Parliament of Canada was never called upon to formally vote on a design. 
Early in 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson informed the House of Commons that the government wished to adopt a distinctive national flag. The 1967 centennial celebration of Confederation was, after all, approaching. As a result, a Senate and House of Commons Committee was formed and submissions were called for once again. 
In October 1964, after eliminating various proposals, the committee was left with three possible designs -- a Red Ensign with the fleur-de-lis and the Union Jack, a design incorporating three red maple leaves, and a red flag with a single, stylized red maple leaf on a white square. (Pearson himself preferred a design with three red maple leaves between two blue borders.) 
Two heraldry experts, who both favoured a three-leaf design, played a decisive role in the choice of our flag: Alan Beddoe, a retired naval captain and heraldic adviser to the Royal Canadian Navy, and Colonel Fortescue Duguid, a heraldist and historian. 
The names of Mr. John Matheson and Dr. George Stanley are well known in the story of the evolution of a new Canadian flag. Mr. Matheson, a Member of Parliament from Ontario, was perhaps one of the strongest supporters of a new flag and played a key advisory role. Dr. Stanley was Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College in Kingston, and brought to the attention of the committee the fact that the Commandant's flag at the College -- an emblem, i.e. a mailed fist, on a red and white ground -- was impressive. 
Dr. Stanley's design is based on a strong sense of Canadian history. The combination of red, white and red first appeared in the General Service Medal issued by Queen Victoria. Red and white were subsequently proclaimed Canada's national colours by King George V in 1921. Three years earlier, Major General (later the Honourable) Sir Eugene Fiset had recommended that Canada's emblem be the single red maple leaf on a white field - the device worn by all Canadian Olympic athletes since 1904. 
The committee eventually decided to recommend the single-leaf design, which was approved by resolution of the House of Commons on December 15, 1964, followed by the Senate on December 17, 1964, and proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, to take effect on February 15, 1965. 
In due course the final design of the stylized maple leaf was established by Mr. Jacques St-Cyr, the precise dimensions of red and white were suggested by Mr. George Best, and the technical description of precise shade of red defined by Dr. Gunter Wyszchi. 
The national flag of Canada, then, came into being, credit to those eminent Canadians: the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, who wanted a distinctive national flag as a vehicle to promote national unity; John Matheson, who established the conceptual framework for a suitable flag, then sought out and combined the appropriate components to create it; and Dr. George Stanley, who provided the seminal concept - the central concepts of red-white-red stripes with a central maple leaf - in this process.

 
This is the chapter entitled, Flags of National Defence, from the book,
The Flags of Canada, by Alistair B. Fraser.
This work is copyrighted. All rights reserved.
 
The Nation Chap VI:

THE FLAGS OF
NATIONAL DEFENCE
Better, forty times better, my banner than my sword. Joan of Arc (at her trial in 1431)
http://www.fraser.cc/FlagsCan/Nation/NatDefence.html

 
Introduction
It is difficult to imagine the military without flags. In earlier times, flags served to impose order upon battlefield chaos:
.....

Upon entering the Second World War, 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 a new battle flag. Designed by Colonel A. Fortescue Duguid, Director of the Historical Section, National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, the flag of the Canadian Active Service Force, generally known as the Battle Flag of Canada, was approved by the War Cabinet on December 7, 1939. In the words of Colonel Duguid:
In the second world war, Canadian units did not carry flags or colours. Just before they proceeded overseas I was ordered to produce a suitable flag for the First Canadian Division. I first decided that the most important thing was to make sure of the national colours of Canada and the national device because it seemed to me that they were obviously the main items for any such flag. On looking at the armorial bearings of Canada, the other obvious item was that there were two flags showing, one of which was the Union Jack and the other a blue flag with three fleur-de-lis. So I placed on the white flag with the three maple leaves a Union Flag on the upper corner next to the staff, which was one seventh of the area of the whole flag. Then I wondered how to include the three fleur-de-lis on the blue ground and I found that a proper heraldic method of introducing such a device was to put a circle in the fly. So I put blue circle in the upper fly with three gold fleur-de-lis. I had that made and I handed it to general McNaughton just as he was boarding the train to go overseas with the First Division. That flag was flown, so the record has it, from the merchant ship on which the headquarters of the First Division proceeded overseas. While on board it was blessed and consecrated. On the other side, it was flown in the Headquarters of the First Canadian Division.

When His Majesty the King came to review the First Canadian Division, that flag was flying and the general Officer Commanding the First Canadian Division had a small flag on the cap of his radiator on his car. He had one made very similar to that, a small flag, and presented it to the King who accepted it and I think expressed approval.15
The Battle Flag not only appeared on the Canadian headquarters overseas, it appeared on all manner of promotional material on the home front: pins, postcards, posters, magazine covers, and advertisements. Sometimes it appeared alone, sometimes with the Union Flag to emphasize our solidarity with Britain, and sometimes with the flags of the other services, the RCAF ensign and the White Ensign of the RCN, to tell of our many-sided support for the war.

....

15. The testimony of Colonel Archer Fortescue Duguid to the 1964 Parliamentary flag committee, as quoted by John Ross Matheson, Canada's Flag: A Search for a Country (Boston: G.K. Hall, 1980), pp. 106-107. Also see Duguid's article, "The flag of the Canadian Active Service Force," The McGill News (Montréal: McGill, Spring 1940). Duguid's design for the 1939 Battle Flag was not new. In 1924, he had submitted it as a proposed national flag during the flag controversy. See, the National Archives of Canada: RG 24, Vol. 24, File HQC 50-1-39.
.....

20. A letter from A. Fortescue Duguid, dated September 29, 1926, and found in the National Archives of Canada, RG 24, Volume 1764, File DHS 12-10.
.....

This is the chapter entitled, Flags of National Defence, from the book,
The Flags of Canada, by Alistair B. Fraser.
This work is copyrighted. All rights reserved.
 

Alistair B. Fraser | alistair@fraser.cc



The Red Ensign

The Red Ensign was created in 1707 as the flag of the British Merchant Marine. A form of the Red Ensign, with quartered arms of Canadian provinces (later the shield of the Arms of Canada), gave rise to the Canadian Red Ensign , various forms of which were flown for approximately 1870 to 1965, as well as the Union Jack.

THE FLAG DEBATE: The debate over the proposed new Canadian flag opened in the House of Commons June 15, 1964 and ended by closure Dec. 15, 1964. Canada's official flag from 1867 had been Britain's Union Flag, although the Red Ensign with the Canadian badge was regularly flown for qualified purposes.

In 1925 Prime Minister Mackenzie King appointed an armed services committee to investigate possible designs, but it did not report. In 1946 a committee of both Senate and Commons presented a design with the Red Ensign charged with a golden maple leaf but it was not adopted. The issue was raised again by Lester Pearson, as leader of the Opposition in 1960 and as prime minister in 1963.

John Matheson MP sought strict adherence to the colours, red and white, and the maple leaf emblem authorized by George V on 21 November 1921 as advocated by A. Fortescue Duguid. Alan B. Beddoe added two blue bars to what became known as the "Pearson pennant. " This proposal for design, three maple leaves on a white centre square with blue bars on each side, was introduced to Parliament in June 1964. The ensuing controversy raged not over whether there should be a new flag, but on its design. The French Canadian members followed with keen interest a debate wherein feelings ran high among many English-speaking Canadians. John Diefenbaker demanded that the flag honour the "founding races," with the Union Jack in the canton of honour. Pearson insisted on a design denoting allegiance to Canada devoid of colonial association.

After prolonged, rancorous debate the issue was referred to a 15-member all-party committee which recommended a design inspired by the Royal Military College flag theme, red-white-red, but with one red maple leaf in a white squared centre.

Debate in the House continued until LŽon Balcer, a prominent Conservative MP from QuŽbec, invited the Liberals to invoke closure, which would limit speeches to 20 minutes and force a vote. After some 250 speeches, a vote was taken Dec. 15, 1964 at 2 a.m. and the committee's recommendation was accepted 163 to 78. Senate approval followed on Dec. 17. The royal proclamation was signed by Her Majesty 28 January 1965 and the national flag was officially unfurled Feb. 15 1965.

FLAG ETIQUETTE: There are certain rules on how some flags are used. The following are a few of the most common questions about the use of our national flag:

Is it okay to leave the Canadian flag flying at night?

Answer: Yes

Is it okay to let the Canadian flag touch the floor or ground, or use it as a table drape or cover?

Answer: No

May it be used to unveil a picture, plaque, monument, and so on?

Answer: Yes, but remember, the flag must not touch the floor.

It is it okay to display or fly another flag, banner or pennant above the Canadian flag?

Answer: No. Also, flags flown together should be of about the same size and flown from separate staffs at the same height.

When the Canadian flag is not flown on a staff or flag pole, how should it be displayed?

Answer: It may be hung horizontally or vertically. If hung horizontally on the wall at the back of a platform, the flag should be behind and above any person who is speaking from the platform. If hung vertically against a wall, the top of the maple leaf should be on the left and the stem to the right as seen by the spectators.

In a parade, procession or mounted ride, where should the Canadian flag be displayed?

Answer: In the position of honour at the marching right or centre front.

What are some other rules that apply to "the position of honour"?

1. When two or more than three flags are flown together, the Canadian flag should be on the left as seen by the spectators located in front of the flags; when a number of countries are represented, the Canadian flag may be flown at each end of the line of flags.

2. When three flags are flown together, the Canadian flag should be in the centre position, with the other flags in alphabetical order, as seen by the spectators viewing the flags.

3. When more than one flag is flown, and it is impossible to raise or lower the flags at the same time, the Canadian flag should be raised first and lowered last.

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia Plus and the federal Department of Canadian Heritage

Submission to The Historic Sites and Monuments Board 18 October 1991
Dr. Calvin Ruck, Chair Black Battalion Committee

Many military historians and writers in general have consistently ignored the roles played by black servicemen in the numerous wars and conflicts that have occurred during the past two centuries or more.
The contribution of blacks to World War I has been virtually unknown or quickly forgotten.
In 1938, under the authority of the Minister of National Defence -- Colonel A. Fortesque Duguid, Director of the Historical section, general staff, wrote the official history of World War I.
In his 596-page work, the author tersely and erroneously described black enlistment in four words: "Black volunteers were refused." (29)
We are of the opinion that a permanent nationally recognized memorial to the No. 2 Construction Battalion will assist in the unit acquiring some long overdue status in Canadian history.
If Canada (God forbid) should go to war tomorrow, Black Canadians would still be proud and eager to line up in front of recruiting stations waiting to enlist.
Blacks also experienced problems in enlisting in all three Services during the early years of World War II. However, that is another story we are presently pursuing.
Dr. Calvin Ruck

Les six livres du Souvenir sont gardés dans la Chapelle du souvenir de la tour de la Paix au Parlement. Ensemble, ils commémorent les noms de 114 710 Canadiens qui, depuis la Confédération, ont perdu la vie au combat au cours de conflits armés à l'extérieur du Canada. Le Livre du Souvenir de la Première Guerre mondiale est le plus volumineux et le premier qui a été réalisé. Il contient 66 655 noms. Le deuxième plus volumineux est le Livre du Souvenir de la Seconde Guerre mondiale qui contient 44 893 noms. C'est le 1er juillet 1917 que le premier ministre Sir Robert Borden a dédié un lieu au Parlement, qu'il a décrit comme « un monument à la mémoire de nos ancêtres et du courage de ces Canadiens qui, pendant la Guerre mondiale, ont combattu pour défendre les libertés du Canada, de l'Empire et de l'humanité. » Deux ans plus tard, le prince de Galles posait la pierre angulaire de « la tour de la Victoire et de la Paix » comme on l'avait d'abord nommée. Originalement, l'intention était de graver tous les noms des soldats canadiens sur les murs de la Chapelle du souvenir. Mais on a finalement constaté qu'il n'y avait pas assez de place pour contenir plus de 66 000 noms. Il a fallu songer à d'autres solutions. C'est le colonel A. Fortesque Duguid, DSO, qui a suggéré l'idée des livres. Le plan a été accepté et des modifications mineures ont dû être effectuées dans la Chapelle pour y installer les livres. Le prince de Galles est retourné le 3 août 1927 pour dévoiler l'autel, un cadeau du gouvernement britannique, sur lequel repose le Livre du Souvenir de la Première Guerre mondiale.

The six Books of Remembrance lie in the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. Together they commemorate the lives of 114,710 Canadians who lost their lives while serving their country in battle outside Canada since Confederation. The first one created, and the largest of the Books, is the First World War Book which contains 66,655 names. This book is followed by the Second World War Book which contains 44,893 names. It was on July 1, 1917 that Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden dedicated a site in the Centre Block of the Houses of Parliament. He said the new structure would be a "memorial to the debt of our forefathers and to the valour of those Canadians who, in the Great War, fought for the liberties of Canada, of the Empire, and of humanity." And so it was two years later that the Prince of Wales laid the corner stone of "The Tower of Victory and Peace" as it was originally known. The intention was for all the names of the Canadian soldiers to be engraved on the walls of the chamber, but it was soon realized that there would not be enough space on the walls to contain more than 66,000 names. So began the process of brainstorming for a solution, which came from Colonel A. Fortesque Duguid, DSO, who is credited with suggesting the idea for a Book of Remembrance. The plan was accepted and minor alterations were made to the chamber to accommodate the Books. The Prince of Wales returned on August 3, 1927 to unveil the altar; a gift from the British Government upon which the Book of The First World War would rest.

1st Canadian Troop Convoy

Canada's Answer by Norman Wilkinson

Detail of HMSPrincess Royal

The original, some 215cm x 368 cm, is held by the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Princess Royal has three signal pendants hoisted from her starboard yardarm: '2', '6' and then one with a blue cross on a white background. The latter may be a mistake: a red cross on a white background was '3'. Also hoisted, but difficult to make out even on the original, is the red flag flapping directly in line with the mast: that is the Canadian Red Ensign.



Contributed by David Kelly (dhkhiyou@mars.ark.com)
This is a list of the ships of the WW1 convoy (October 1914), in alphabetical order (ie not the way they lined up for sailing in the actual convoy). The source is Colonel A. Fortesque Duguid's Official History of the Canadian Forces in the Great War (King's Printer, Ottawa, 1938).