The Canadian Flag: Where Does the Maple Leaf Design Come From?

Over five decades ago, the soon to be 95-year-old John Ross Matheson designed the Canadian flag, but how did he come up with the Maple Leaf design?

According to reports, Lester Pearson challenged Matheson back in 1961 to design a flag that Canada could call its own. Matheson was the obvious choice for such an important undertaking because he was well schooled in heraldry and had made a name for himself by designing the coat of arms for the City of Brookville.

After Pearson assembled a minority government in 1963, he immediately  gave the 15-member flag committee six weeks to come up with a new design. And even though Matheson was asked to chair the committee, he refused due to the fact that he was already working rather in deftly on his own design.

There are some who believe that since Matheson utilized the Royal Military College’s red-white-red-bar principles in creating his design, that professor George Stanley should be credited for coming up with the concept - after all, he did suggest the idea to Matheson.

However, it was Matheson who ultimately received all of the credit when his flag design was approved in October of 1964 and became the first flag to be raised over Parliament Hill in February of 1965.

"It was basic heraldry. White and red is considered the most powerful combination in heraldry. That's why the Canadian flag has the brightest red. And the starkest white. It had to be that way," said Matheson in an interview. “Every time I see that flag, I feel damn proud."