image credit: Jared Grove ccCanada didn't have an official national flag until February 15, 1965. Choosing one caused a huge divide in both public and political opinions, and the matter had to be settled by cloture in the Canadian House of Commons.
A special flag committee invited ordinary citizens to submit their vision of a brand new flag. Of the total 3541 submissions, 2136 bore maple leaves, 408 the Union Jack, 389 had a beaver, and 359 contained fleurs-de-lys. In the end, a simple red maple leaf design by Colonel George Stanley would win.
