The flag of the modern Canadian province, a blue saltire on a white field (background), is a simple figure-ground reversal of the flag of Scotland (a white saltire, Saint Andrew’s cross, on a blue field), charged with an inescutcheon bearing the royal arms of Scotland, a gold shield with a red lion rampant surrounded by a loyal double tressure (a double border decorated with fleurs de lis).
The top white bar represents the snow which colours the culture and lifestyle of Labradorians like no other element. The bottom blue bar represents the waters of Labrador which serve as the highway and sustainer of the people of Labrador. The centre green bar represents the nurturing land. It is thinner than the other two, as the northern climes of Labrador have short summers.
The twig is in two year-growths to represent the past and future of Labrador. The shorter growth of the inner twigs represents the hardships of the past, while the outer twigs are longer as a representation of the hope Labradorians have for the future. The three branches represent the three founding nations of Labrador; the Innu, the Inuit, and the European settlers. The three branches emerging from a single stalk represents the unity of the distinct peoples in the brotherhood of all mankind, thus representing people of these and all backgrounds in Labrador. Since the black spruce, a member of the pine family of trees is the official tree of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador it also serves as a reminder that Labrador is part of that larger entity.
The flag design is that of Beothuk and Innu decorative pendants worn hung from a cord around the neck. Pratt viewed these at the Provincial Museum. With the blue, red and white colours applied the design has an intentional overall resemblance to the Union Jack, as a reminder of British Isles heritage and historic connections. The two red triangles represent the two areas of the province, the continental region (Labrador) and the island region (Newfoundland). The gold arrow, according to Pratt, points towards a “brighter future”; the arrow becomes a sword, honouring the sacrifices of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in military service when the flag is displayed as a vertical banner. The red triangles and the gold arrow form a trident, symbolizing the province’s association with the fisheries and other resources of and under the sea.
The flag of Manitoba is a variation of the Red Ensign which bears the shield of the provincial coat of arms. This flag was approved by the passage of a bill in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly on May 11, 1965 and was officially proclaimed on May 12, 1966. Queen Elizabeth II gave permission for the use of the Union device the preceding year (October 1965). The decision to adopt the flag was made after the federal government decided to replace the Canadian Red Ensign with the Maple Leaf flag, which was quite controversial at the time. The Manitoban flag, intentionally designed to resemble the Canadian red ensign, was seen as a way of preserving heritage that some felt was lost when the national flag was changed. The flag of Ontario was adopted under similar circumstances.
The flag of British Columbia is based upon the shield of the provincial arms of British Columbia. At the top of the flag is a rendition of the Royal Union Flag, defaced in the centre by a crown, and with a setting sun below, representing the location of the province of British Columbia at the western end of Canada.
From 1870 to 1906, British Columbia was occasionally represented by a modified British blue ensign featuring various forms of the great seal of the Colony of British Columbia. The current flag of British Columbia was based upon the 1906 arms of the province, designed by Anglican priest Canon Arthur John Beanlands of Victoria. Originally, the arms featured the Union Flag on the bottom. This was changed as it conflicted with the expression “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” Based upon Beanlands’ revised design, the flag of British Columbia was introduced on June 14, 1960, by Premier W. A. C. Bennett, and was first flown on board the BC Ferries motor vessel Sidney (later Queen of Sidney).
The four wavy white and three wavy blue lines symbolize the province’s location between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. The setting sun represents the fact that British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province. The sun may also reflect the provincial motto “Splendor sine occasu” (beauty without diminish)—or, in other words, the sun that never sets (on the British Empire). In Canada, it could be argued, the Empire lives on in the country’s symbols and parliamentary institutions. The Union Flag on top reflects the province’s British heritage, while the crown in the centre represents British Columbia becoming a Crown colony and achieving responsible government.
The flag of Alberta is an official symbol of the province of Alberta, Canada. In 1968, the provincial legislature authorized the design of a flag, adopting it on 1 June 1968.
The flag has the proportions 1:2, with the provincial shield of arms in the centre of an ultramarine blue background. The shield’s height is ?7/11 that of the flag’s height.
The provincial colours, adopted in 1984, are blue and gold (deep yellow); they are also referred to as “Alberta blue” and “Alberta gold”, appearing on the flag/shield in the sky/background and wheat background, respectively.
Around the time of the upcoming centennial celebration of Canadian Confederation petitions were submitted in November 1966 to Premier Ernest Charles Manning by the Social Credit Women’s Auxiliaries of the Alberta Social Credit League to give Alberta its own unique flag. The flag was designed and approved as the official provincial flag by the Alberta legislature on June 1, 1968.
The flag of Canada (French: le drapeau du Canada), often referred to as the Canadian flag, or unofficially as the Maple Leaf and l’Unifolié (French for “the one-leafed”), is the national flag of Canada which consists of a red field with a white square at its center in the ratio of 1:2:1, in the middle of which is featured a stylized, red, 11-pointed maple leaf charged in the centre. It is the first flag approved by Parliament for use as the country’s national flag.
The flag of Belize was adopted on 21 September 1981, the day Belize became independent. It consists of the Coat of Arms on a blue field with red stripes at the top and bottom.
British Honduras obtained a coat of arms on 28 January 1907, which formed the basis of the badge used on British ensigns. The coat of arms recalls the logging industry that first led to British settlement there. The figures, tools, and mahogany tree represent this industry. The national motto, Sub Umbra Floreo, meaning “Under the Shade I Flourish”, is written in the lower part of the coat of arms.
The flag is royal blue, with a white disc at the centre containing the national coat of arms held by a mestizo and a man of African descent. The flag of Belize is the only country to have humans depicted as a major design element on its national flag. The flag is bordered at top and bottom by two red stripes.
The colours on the flag are respectively those of the country’s national parties, the People’s United Party (PUP) and United Democratic Party (Belize) (UDP).
The two red stripes at the top and bottom were added to the original design at independence. The coat of arms was granted in 1907. Red stripes were added to denote the colour of the opposition party. The 50 leaves recall 1950, the year PUP came to power.
In 1981, Belize gained its independence and a competition was held to design a national flag for the country. The winning submission consisted of the unofficial national flag used by the People’s United Party with a red border added to all four sides. This was changed to a red border on just the top and bottom before the design was officially adopted.
The national flag of the Bahamas consists of a black triangle situated at the hoist with three horizontal bands: aquamarine, gold and aquamarine. Adopted in 1973 to replace the British Blue Ensign defaced with the emblem of the Crown Colony of the Bahama Islands, it has been the flag of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas since the country gained independence that year. The design of the present flag incorporated the elements of various submissions made in a national contest for a new flag prior to independence.
