You see it flying everywhere: over government buildings, over police stations, outside businesses and even on the lawns of the most patriotic among us.
It’s easy to take the maple leaf with two red bars for granted, especially for those who have known no other flag in this country and are completely unaware of the debate surrounding the adoption of a new national symbol.
Each year, however, St. Albertans celebrate Canada Day, in part, by asking what it means to be Canadian and putting a flag design down on paper.
The Musée Heritage Museum hosted its annual Great Flag Debate contest at the Little White School last Wednesday, and received entries from seasoned veterans and novices alike.
Sisters Annika and Kaitlin Kamminga have been entering the flag contest for four years since they were in high school, and enjoy the experience enough that they keep coming back.
The two sisters have won the contest in the oldest age-group category twice, and were hoping for a repeat this year with a flag design steeped in Canadian police imagery.
“In the middle we have the ribbon people wear when a police officer falls, and that’s a Mountie hat in the middle,” Annika explained.
“It’s Canadian police-force patriotism; that’s our theme this year,” Kaitlin added.
The flag design featured a blue ribbon in the centre, representing support for police, with a Mountie hat in the middle, with white spaces on either side.
In past years, their flag designs have incorporated elements of the different cultures here in Canada, predominantly with First Nations, French and British imagery.
In 2013, their flag design featured a quadrant with different symbols for north, south, east and west, like the famous schooner Bluenose in the east and mountains in the west. Underneath was the infinity symbol that represents MĂ©tis culture.
Last year, they went with a coat of arms full of Canadian symbols including a maple tree in the centre and a bear wearing a traditional French-Canadian ceinture flechĂ©e, with the words “True North Strong and Free” translated into Cree along the bottom.
“We always try to incorporate that, because Canada has such a rich history of First Nations and different cultures coming in,” Annika said.
It ultimately comes down to thinking about what it means to them to be Canadian, and that can vary year to year. This year, the police were at the forefront of their thoughts.
“We’re so lucky to be in a country that’s safe, well protected, and if we need help we have it,” Kaitlin said. “And no matter who you are, any person here gets protected.”
Danika Karyczuk, 8, and her sister Daysha, 6, also came up with some interesting designs last Wednesday.
“The 10 stars represent the 10 provinces, and the three mountains represent the three territories,” Danika said, explaining her design. “The provinces are smaller than the territories.”
Daysha choose some more ornate imagery around a coat of arms.
“Mine’s got swirls, and they’re kind of pointy, and a maple leaf,” she said. “I don’t know why I did it. It just looks pretty.”
Both said they were very proud to be Canadian, and appreciate the importance of the maple leaf symbol in our culture.
“It’s kind of like syrup,” Danika said.
Roy Toomie, who ran the program on behalf of the museum, said he has seen some very interesting designs over the year, but he prefers the classics.
“I’m an old-school patriot. For me, I love the British Union Jack and I love the red maple leaf,” he said. “I would love to see something that combines those symbols, and also the crown.”
That said, he noted he always appreciates seeing the designs younger generations come up with, and how they differ from the traditional maple leaf.
But for now, that unmistakable red leaf will continue to fly.
