| National Flag of Canada Day | |
|---|---|
 The national flag of Canada | |
| Observed by | Canada |
| Date | February 15 |
| Next time | February 15, 2027 (2027-02) |
| Frequency | Annual |
National Flag of Canada Day (French:Jour du drapeau national du Canada), commonly shortened toFlag Day, is observed annually on February 15 to commemorate the inauguration of theflag of Canada on that date in 1965.[1] The day is marked by flying the flag, occasional public ceremonies and educational programs in schools. It is not apublic holiday, although there has been discussion about creating one.
Amidmuch controversy, theParliament of Canada in 1964 voted to adopt a new design for theCanadian flag and issued a call for submissions.[2] This flag would replace theCanadian Red Ensign, which had been, with various successive alterations, in conventional use as the national flag ofCanada since 1868. Nearly 4,000 designs were submitted by Canadians.[2] On October 22, 1964, theMaple Leaf flag—designed byMount Allison University historianGeorge Stanley—won with a unanimous vote.[3] Under the leadership ofPrime MinisterLester Pearson, resolutions recommending the new design were passed by theHouse of Commons on December 15, 1964, and by theSenate two days later.[4]
The flag was proclaimed byElizabeth II,Queen of Canada, on January 28, 1965,[3][5] and took effect "upon, from and after" February 15 that year.[6]
National Flag of Canada Day was instituted in 1996 by anOrder in Council fromGovernor GeneralRoméo LeBlanc, on the initiative of Prime MinisterJean Chrétien.[7] At the first Flag Day ceremony inHull, Quebec, Chrétien was confronted by demonstrators against proposed cuts to theunemployment insurance system, and while walking through the crowd hegrabbed by the neck and pushed aside a protester who had approached him.
In 2010, on the flag's 45th anniversary, federal ceremonies were held to mark Flag Day atOttawa,Winnipeg,St. John's, and atWhistler andVancouver in conjunction with the2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.[8] In 2011, Prime MinisterStephen Harper observed Flag Day by presenting two citizens, whose work honoured themilitary, with Canadian flags that had flown over thePeace Tower. It was announced as inaugurating an annual recognition of patriotism.[9]
In 2025, just before the flag's 60th anniversary,Joe Clark,Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien,Paul Martin and Stephen Harper, the five living former prime ministers of Canada, wrote an open letter calling on all Canadians to fly the flag as a sign of national unity during the2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico.[10]
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