1.
Red Ensign
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The Red Ensign or Red Duster is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom. It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain and it is the flag flown by British Merchant ships since 1707. Prior to 1707 an English red ensign and a Scottish red ensign were flown by the English and Scottish navies respectively. The precise date of the first appearance of these earlier red ensigns is not known, in 1674, a Royal Proclamation of Charles II confirmed that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag to be worn by English merchant ships. The wording of the 1674 proclamation indicates that the flag was customarily being used by English merchantmen before that date, at this time, the ensign displayed the English Cross of St George in the canton. It is probable that the cross-saltire was adopted by the Scots as an ensign at a very early period. The earliest Scottish records were lost at sea in the ship that was sent to them to that country, whence they had been carried off, with the Stone of Destiny. Prior to 1707 the Scottish Red Ensign was flown by ships of the Royal Scots Navy and this resulted in a new red ensign which placed the first Union Flag in the first quarter. The new design of the Red Ensign was proclaimed by Queen Anne and this was the flag flown by ships of the thirteen American colonies before the American Revolution and was a precursor to the colonies Grand Union Flag. In 1801, with another Act of Union, Ireland joined with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the St Patricks Cross was added to the Union Flag and, accordingly, to the first quarters of the British ensigns. In 1854, the Merchant Shipping Act included a provision that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag for a British merchantman. This provision was repeated in successive British shipping legislation, the white ensign and the blue ensign were also used by the Royal Navy. Many in the Admiralty felt that the Royal Navys use of three separate ensigns was outdated and confusing, many also felt that steam merchantmen should be clearly distinguishable from warships. In July 1864, an order-in-council provided that the White Ensign was the ensign of the Royal Naval Service, the Blue Ensign was designated as the proper national colours for ships commanded by an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve, and as national colours for ships in government service. The Red Ensign was assigned to British merchantmen, most British colonies needed to use the blue ensign due to the fact that most had government vessels, some colonies, such as South Australia, had warships. As a result, the Blue Ensign was used throughout the Empire and thus became the model for the used by a number of colonies. At the same time, the red ensign was used by merchantmen of those colonies which obtained an Admiralty warrant. Not all colonies obtained an Admiralty warrant, however, the ones that did tended to be larger and those areas that did not have an Admiralty warrant used the plain Red Ensign, although unofficial local versions of the Red Ensign were used
2.
Coat of arms of Ontario
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The coat of arms of Ontario was granted by royal warrant of Queen Victoria on 26 May 1868. This arms of Canada was shared with the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the Dominion Arms was simple and lacked supporters. The award of arms was augmented with supporters and a crest by royal warrant of King Edward VII on 27 February 1909. The supporters, crest, and motto, designed by Toronto barrister Edward Marion Chadwick, were added on Feb 27,1909 by Royal Warrant from King Edward VII. The shield of arms consists of three maple leaves on a green background, above which is a wide white band with a red St. Georges cross. The crest is a bear standing on a gold and green wreath. The supporters are a moose and a deer at the sides of the shield, below the shield is a scroll with the Latin motto. The maple leaves on the shield are of course the symbol of Canada, supporters a moose and deer Motto The motto is Ut incepit Fidelis sic permanet, Latin for Loyal she began, loyal she remains. It refers to the Loyalist refugees from the American Revolution, who settled in the Province of Canada, and for whom the area was separated as Upper Canada
3.
Ontario
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Ontario, one of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada, is located in east-central Canada. It is Canadas most populous province by a margin, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all Canadians. Ontario is fourth-largest in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and it is home to the nations capital city, Ottawa, and the nations most populous city, Toronto. There is only about 1 km of land made up of portages including Height of Land Portage on the Minnesota border. Ontario is sometimes divided into two regions, Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario. The great majority of Ontarios population and arable land is located in the south, in contrast, the larger, northern part of Ontario is sparsely populated with cold winters and is heavily forested. The province is named after Lake Ontario, a thought to be derived from Ontarí, io, a Huron word meaning great lake, or possibly skanadario. Ontario has about 250,000 freshwater lakes, the province consists of three main geographical regions, The thinly populated Canadian Shield in the northwestern and central portions, which comprises over half the land area of Ontario. Although this area mostly does not support agriculture, it is rich in minerals and in part covered by the Central and Midwestern Canadian Shield forests, studded with lakes, Northern Ontario is subdivided into two sub-regions, Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Ontario. The virtually unpopulated Hudson Bay Lowlands in the north and northeast, mainly swampy. Southern Ontario which is further sub-divided into four regions, Central Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Golden Horseshoe, the highest point is Ishpatina Ridge at 693 metres above sea level located in Temagami, Northeastern Ontario. In the south, elevations of over 500 m are surpassed near Collingwood, above the Blue Mountains in the Dundalk Highlands, the Carolinian forest zone covers most of the southwestern region of the province. A well-known geographic feature is Niagara Falls, part of the Niagara Escarpment, the Saint Lawrence Seaway allows navigation to and from the Atlantic Ocean as far inland as Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario. Northern Ontario occupies roughly 87 percent of the area of the province. Point Pelee is a peninsula of Lake Erie in southwestern Ontario that is the southernmost extent of Canadas mainland, Pelee Island and Middle Island in Lake Erie extend slightly farther. All are south of 42°N – slightly farther south than the border of California. The climate of Ontario varies by season and location, the effects of these major air masses on temperature and precipitation depend mainly on latitude, proximity to major bodies of water and to a small extent, terrain relief. In general, most of Ontarios climate is classified as humid continental, Ontario has three main climatic regions
4.
Defacement (flag)
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Defacement is a term used in heraldry and vexillology to refer to the addition of a symbol or charge to another flag. For example, the New Zealand flag is the British Blue Ensign defaced with a Southern Cross in the fly, in the context of vexillology, the word deface carries no negative connotations, in contrast to general usage. It simply indicates differentiation of the flag from that of another owner by addition of elements, for example, many state flags are formed by defacing the national flag with a coat of arms. Such changing ideological emblems appeared over time, among others, on the flags of Italy, Hungary, Romania, Germany Ethiopia, an already defaced flag can be further defaced. For example, the Australian flag is already a defaced Blue Ensign, the Australian Border Force Flag is further defaced with the words border force. In the United States it is against the Flag Code to deface the flag with advertising or with any other sigil. Such flags are nevertheless available, depicting the seals of various branches of the U. S. military, Native American related objects such as tomahawks or war bonnets. It is common for football supporters travelling abroad for a match to bring a national flag defaced with the name of their home town or a similar local identifier
5.
Union Jack
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The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. Further, it is used as a flag in some of the smaller British overseas territories. The Union Jack also appears in the canton of the flags of several nations, the claim that the term Union Jack properly refers only to naval usage has been disputed, following historical investigations by the Flag Institute in 2013. The origins of the flag of Great Britain date back to 1606. King James also began to refer to a Kingdom of Great Britaine, the present design of the Union Flag dates from a Royal proclamation following the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. Notably, the country of Wales is not represented separately in the Union Jack, being only indirectly represented through the cross of St George. The terms Union Jack and Union Flag are both historically correct for describing the de facto flag of the United Kingdom. Whether the term Union Jack applies only when used as a flag on a ship is a modern matter of debate. According to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Until the early 17th century England and Scotland were two independent kingdoms. This changed dramatically in 1603 on the death of Elizabeth I of England, because the Queen died unmarried and childless, the English crown passed to the next available heir, her cousin James VI, King of Scotland. England and Scotland now shared the same monarch under what was known as a union of the crowns, in 1606, James VI gave orders for a British flag to be created which bore the combined crosses of St. George and of St. Andrew. The result was the Union Jack, Jack being a shortening of Jacobus, the institute also notes, it is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. In 1908, a government minister stated, in response to a parliamentary question, notwithstanding Their Lordships circular of 1902, by 1913 the Admiralty described the Union Flag and added in a foot note that A Jack is a Flag to be flown only on the Jack Staff. However, the authoritative A Complete Guide to Heraldry published in 1909 by Arthur Charles Fox-Davies uses the term Union Jack, the term Union Flag is used in King Charles Is 1634 proclamation. Andrew and St. Patrick Quarterly per Saltire, counterchanged Argent and Gules, when the first flag representing Britain was introduced on the proclamation of King James I in 1606, it became known simply as the British flag or the flag of Britain. The royal proclamation gave no name to the new flag. The word jack was in use before 1600 to describe the maritime bow flag, by 1627 a small Union Jack was commonly flown in this position. Reinforcing the distinction the Kings proclamation of the day concerning the arms
6.
Glossary of vexillology
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Flag terminology is the nomenclature, or system of terms, used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display. Badge A coat of arms or simple heraldic symbol, canton Any quarter of a flag, but commonly means the upper hoist quarter, such as the field of stars in the flag of the United States or the Union Jack in the Australian Flag. Charge A figure or symbol appearing in the field of a flag, emblem A device often used as a charge on a flag. It may be heraldic in origin or modern, for example the maple leaf on the Canadian Flag, field The background of a flag, the color behind the charges. Fimbriation A narrow edging or border, often in white or gold, for example the white and gold lines of the South African Flag. Fly The half or edge of a flag farthest away from the flagpole and this term also sometimes refers to the horizontal length of a flag. Hoist The half or edge of a flag nearest to the flagpole and this term also sometimes refers to the vertical width of a flag. Length The span of a flag along the side at right angles to the flagpole, width The span of a flag down the side parallel to the flagpole. Flags often inherit traits seen in traditional European heraldry designs and as a result patterns often share names, banderole or bannerol A small flag or streamer carried on the lance of a knight, or a long narrow flag flying from the mast-head of a ship. Banner Generically, a synonym for a flag of any kind, in heraldry, a flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms, but usually in a square or rectangular shape, also known as a banner of arms. Burgee A distinguishing flag of a recreational boating organisation, Civil ensign, merchant flag or merchant ensign A version of the national flag flown by civil ships to denote nationality. Civil flag A version of the flag flown by civilians on non-government installations or craft. Colour or color The flag of a military unit, courtesy flag or courtesy ensign A flag flown by a visiting ship in foreign waters as a token of respect. Ensign The flag of a ship or military unit, may also be used generically as a synonym for a flag of any kind. Fanion A small flag used by the French military, gonfalon, gonfanon or gonfalone A type of heraldic flag suspended from a crossbar. Guidon A small flag borne by a military unit, in Scots heraldry, a smaller version of the Standard. Pennon or pennant A flag larger at the hoist than at the fly, pipe banner A decorative flag for the Scottish Highland bagpipes. Prayer flag A type of flag found strung along mountain ridges and peaks in the Himalayas, rank flag or distinguishing flag The flag flown by a superior naval officer on his flagship or headquarters
7.
Canadian Red Ensign
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The Canadian Red Ensign is a former flag of Canada, used by the federal government though it was never officially adopted by the Parliament of Canada. It is a British Red Ensign, featuring the Union Flag in the canton, the Red Ensign bearing some sort of a Canadian emblem was used by Canadians both on land and at sea beginning as early as 1868 on an informal or extra-legal basis. As Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald constantly made use of it, promoting it by precept and example throughout Canada. In 1892, it was authorized by Admiralty Warrant for use on ships registered in Canada and this was enshrined in the Canada Shipping Act of 1934, yet the flag had no legal status on land. Despite its lack of any official status on land, the Red Ensign with Canadian arms was used on land. Various versions of the Red Ensign continued to be flown on land and it can be seen in numerous photographs of Canadian troops, on the prime ministers car, and in victory parades. The original Canadian Red Ensign had the arms of the four founding provinces on its shield, however, in the late 19th and early 20th century, flag manufacturers would often supplement this design with laurel wreaths and crowns. The design was placed on a white square or circle in the flags fly. There was no design for the Red Ensign until the early 1920s. In 1921, the Government of Canada asked King George V to order a new coat of arms for Canada, the College of Arms thus designed a suitable coat of arms of Canada. The new shield was displayed on the Red Ensign, thus producing a new version of the Canadian Red Ensign in 1922, in 1924, the Red Ensign was approved for use on Canadian government buildings outside Canada. So in 1945, the flag was approved for use by government buildings inside Canada as well, the Red Ensign served until 1965 when it was replaced by todays Maple Leaf flag. The flag bore various forms of the shield from the Canadian coat of arms in its fly during the period of its use, the picture shows the official form between 1957 and 1965. From 1921 until 1957, the Canadian Red Ensign was virtually the same, except that the leaves in the coat of arms were green, and there was a slight alteration to the Irish harp. A blue ensign, also bearing the shield of the Canadian coat of arms, was the jack flown by the Royal Canadian Navy and the ensign of other ships owned by the Canadian government until 1965. From 1865 until Canadian Confederation in 1867, the United Province of Canada could also have used a blue ensign, in O. R. Jacobis painting of the new Parliament Buildings in 1866, a Red Ensign flies from the tower of the East Block. The Red Ensign carried by the 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917 survives to this day, the Red Ensign flown at Vimy Ridge in 1917 had the arms of Canadas first four provinces. David Penn, Keeper of Exhibits and Firearms at the Imperial War Museum, the flag was returned to the United Kingdom in 2008
8.
Royal Canadian Legion
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The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925. Membership is now open to the general public. In Canada, several veterans organizations emerged during World War I, the Great War Veterans Association, founded in 1917 by Lillian Bilsky Freiman, was the first national organization for veterans, and by 1919 it was the largest veterans organization in Canada. Following World War I,15 different organizations existed to aid returning veterans in Canada, field Marshal Earl Haig, founder of the British Empire Service League, visited Canada in 1925 and urged the organizations to merge. In the same year, the Dominion Veterans Alliance was created to unite these organizations, in November 1925, the Canadian Legion was founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League. The Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League was incorporated by an act of parliament the following year. The Legion grew steadily through the 1930s and then expanded rapidly following World War II, in 1960, Elizabeth II granted The Legion royal patronage and it became The Royal Canadian Legion. On 10 November 1975 Canada Post issued The Royal Canadian Legion, the 8¢ stamps are perforated 13 and were printed by British American Bank Note Company. The National Headquarters of The Royal Canadian Legion in Ottawa, Ontario features a Wall of Remembrance, the Wall of Remembrance is adorned by an 11-ft long stainless steel sword by André Gauthier. The Royal Canadian Legion commissioned a work of art on the theme of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by André Gauthier. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 593 erected a memorial in Ottawa dedicated to those who died in the First and Second World Wars, a number of military museums are co-located and affiliated with Royal Canadian Legions. Most small towns and villages in Canada have at least one Legion Hall, often the Legion Hall is a major community centre, combining the functions of a pub, pool hall, dance hall, bingo hall, banquet hall, and so on. Legion Halls are numbered, for example Branch 99 Royal Canadian Legion and this is not a nationwide numbering system as you might expect, however, each provincial Command has its own numerical sequence. Branch 99, therefore, can refer to any of several Legion Halls, as follows, Belleville, Ontario, Cowansville, Quebec, Lipton/Dysart, Saskatchewan, Coronation, Alberta, or Emo, the Royal Canadian Legion Maple Leaf Post-84 is located in Royal Oak, Michigan. The Legion is responsible for Canadas remembrance poppy campaign which distributes plastic lapel poppies to be worn in the lead up to Remembrance Day, the poppy is worn on the left lapel, or as close to the heart as possible. The current lapel poppy has been manufactured since 1922—originally under the sponsorship of the Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment, until 1996, the poppy material was manufactured at sheltered workshops operated by Veterans Affairs Canada. Poppies are distributed through retail outlets, workplaces, Legion branches, malls, funds raised are used to support ex-service members in need and to fund medical appliances and research, home services, care facilities and numerous other purposes benefiting veterans. Members of the Legion perform graveside memorial ceremonies for veterans at cemeteries throughout Canada, the Legion also performs ceremonies annually at the gravesites of Canadian and British servicemen interred in the United States, generally on a Sunday in May
9.
Great Canadian Flag Debate
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The Great Canadian Flag Debate was a national debate that took place in 1963 and 1964 when a new design for the national flag of Canada was chosen. Although the flag debate had been going on for a time prior, it officially began on June 15,1964. The debate lasted more than six months, bitterly dividing the people in the process, the debate over the proposed new Canadian flag was ended by closure on December 15,1964. It resulted in the adoption of the Maple Leaf flag as the Canadian national flag, the flag was inaugurated on February 15,1965, and since 1996, February 15 has been commemorated as National Flag of Canada Day. For much of its history, Canada used both the Royal Union Flag as its national flag, and the Canadian Red Ensign as a popularly recognized. The first Canadian Red Ensigns were used in Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonalds time, the Governor General at the time of Macdonalds death, Lord Stanley, wrote to London in 1891. Under pressure from public opinion, Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier raised the Union Flag over Parliament. In 1945, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, having flown the Union Jack over Parliament throughout the war, Mackenzie King also tried to give Canada a new flag. The recommendation that came back was a Red Ensign, but substituting the coat of arms of Canada with a maple leaf. In 1958, a poll was taken of the attitudes that adult Canadians held toward the flag. Of those who expressed opinions, over 80% wanted a national flag entirely different from that of any other nation, and 60% wanted their flag to bear the maple leaf. From his office as leader of the opposition, Lester Pearson issued a release on January 27,1960, in which he summarized the problem. During the election campaign of 1963, Pearson promised that Canada would have a new flag within two years of his election, no previous party leader had ever gone as far as Pearson did, by putting a time limit on finding a new national flag for Canada. The 1963 election brought the Liberals back to power, but with a minority government, in February 1964, a three-leaf design was leaked to the press. Lester Pearsons preferred choice for a new flag was nicknamed the Pearson Pennant, Pearson’s first design featured the three maple leaves on a blue background. Pearson preferred this choice, as the blue bars reflected Canadas motto, hence, the issue was not whether the maple leaf was pre-eminently Canadian, but rather whether the nation should exclude the British-related component from its identity. Diefenbaker led the opposition to the Maple Leaf flag, arguing for the retention of the Canadian Red Ensign, Diefenbaker and his lieutenants mounted a filibuster. The seemingly endless debate raged on in Parliament and the press with no side giving quarter, Pearson forced members of Parliament to stay over the summer, but that did not help
10.
Flag of Canada
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It is the first ever specified by law for use as the countrys national flag. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design by George Stanley, based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, was selected. The flag made its first official appearance on February 15,1965, also, the Royal Union Flag remains an official flag in Canada. There is no law dictating how the flag is to be treated. The flag is horizontally symmetric and therefore the obverse and reverse sides appear identical, the width of the Maple Leaf flag is twice the height. The white field is a Canadian pale, each bordering red field is exactly half its size, in heraldic terminology, the flags blazon as outlined on the original royal proclamation is gules on a Canadian pale argent a maple leaf of the first. The maple leaf has been used as a Canadian emblem since the 18th century and it was first used as a national symbol in 1868 when it appeared on the coat of arms of both Ontario and Quebec. In 1867, Alexander Muir composed the patriotic song The Maple Leaf Forever, the maple leaf was later added to the Canadian coat of arms in 1921. From 1876 until 1901, the leaf appeared on all Canadian coins, the use of the maple leaf by the Royal Canadian Regiment as a regimental symbol extended back to 1860. During the First World War and Second World War, badges of the Canadian Forces were often based on a leaf design. The maple leaf would eventually adorn the tombstones of Canadian military graves and these colours became entrenched as the national colours of Canada upon the proclamation of the Royal Standard of Canada in 1962. The Department of Canadian Heritage has listed the various shades for printing ink that should be used when reproducing the Canadian flag. 62539/0 Rieger Inks, No.25564 Sinclair and Valentine, No, the colours 0/100/100/0 in the CMYK process, PMS032, or PMS485 in the Pantone colour specifier can be used when reproducing the flag. For the Federal Identity Program, the red tone of the flag has an RGB value of 255–0–0. In 1984, the National Flag of Canada Manufacturing Standards Act was passed to unify the manufacturing standards for used in both indoor and outdoor conditions. The first flag known to have flown in Canada was the St Georges Cross carried by John Cabot when he reached Newfoundland in 1497, in 1534, Jacques Cartier planted a cross in Gaspé bearing the French royal coat of arms with the fleurs-de-lis. His ship flew a red flag with a cross, the French naval flag at the time. New France continued to fly the evolving French military flags of that period, as the de jure national flag of the United Kingdom, the Union Flag was used similarly in Canada since the 1621 British settlement in Nova Scotia
11.
John Robarts
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John Parmenter Robarts, PC CC QC was a Canadian lawyer and statesman, and the 17th Premier of Ontario. Robarts was born in Banff, Alberta, making him the only Ontario premier not to have born in Ontario. As a young man, he moved to London, Ontario with his family, while attending Western, he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. He enrolled to study law at Osgoode Hall Law School, and he served as an officer on HMCS Uganda. After the war, he returned to law school and graduated in 1948 and he practiced law in London, Ontario, and was elected a city alderman / councillor in 1948. In 1951, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Progressive Conservative MPP from the city, in that era, MPPs not in cabinet were essentially working part-time, due to relatively light legislative duties. Robarts commuted by train from the Queens Park legislature in Toronto to his family and law practice in London and his wife Norah disliked Toronto and remained at home in London for most of their marriage. He entered the cabinet of Leslie Frost in 1958 as minister without portfolio, in 1961, he became the 17th Premier of Ontario, and served in that capacity until 1971. He was an advocate of individual freedoms, and promoted the rights of the provinces against the centralizing initiatives of the federal government. As a civil libertarian, and a believer in the promotion of both official languages, Robarts opened the door to French language education in Ontario schools. In 1972 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, after retiring from office, John Robarts co-chaired the Task Force on Canadian Unity with Jean-Luc Pépin, and joined the boards of directors of several major corporations. Later in his life, after suffering a series of debilitating strokes and he is buried in St. James Cemetery in Toronto. The Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies at York University was founded in 1982 in his name, the John P. Robarts Research Institute at the University of Western Ontario was officially opened in 1986. He served as Chancellor of UWO from 1971 to 1976 and he served as Chancellor of York University from 1977 to 1982. Also in London is the Robarts School for the Deaf, the 14-storey John P. Robarts Research Library at the University of Toronto is also named in his honour. University of Western Ontario professor A. K, mcDougall authored the first full-length biography, Robarts, in 1985. Steve Paikin wrote a biography, Public Triumph, Private Tragedy, Ontario Legislative Assembly Parliamentarian History Order of Canada citation Reference on John Robarts Death John P. Robarts fonds, Archives of Ontario
12.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
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The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, often shortened to Ontario PC Party or PC, is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. It governed the province for 80 of the 149 years since Confederation and it is the Official Opposition in the current Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The first Conservative Party in Upper Canada was made up of United Empire Loyalists, once responsible government was granted in response to the 1837 Rebellions, the Tories emerged as moderate reformers who opposed the radical policies of the Reformers and then the Clear Grits. The modern Conservative Party originated in the Liberal-Conservative coalition founded by Sir John A. Macdonald and it is a variant of this coalition that formed the first government in Ontario with John Sandfield Macdonald as Premier. Sandfield Macdonald was actually a Liberal and sat concurrently as a Liberal Party of Canada MP in the Canadian House of Commons, after losing power in 1871, this Conservative coalition began to dissolve. The party became opposed to funding for schools, opposed to language rights for French-Canadians. Paradoxically, an element of the party gained a reputation for being pro-labour as a result of links between the Orange Order and the labour movement. After 33 years in Opposition, the Tories returned to power under James P. Whitney, the Whitney government initiated massive public works projects such as the creation of Ontario Hydro. It also enacted legislation against the French-Canadian population in Ontario. The Tories were in power for all but five years from 1905 to 1934, after the death of Whitney in 1914, however, they lacked vision and became complacent. The Tories lost power to the United Farmers of Ontario in the 1919 election but were able to regain office in 1923 election due to the UFOs disintegration and they were defeated by Mitch Hepburns Liberals in 1934 due to their inability to cope with the Great Depression. Late in the 1930s and early in the 1940s, the Conservatives re-organized and developed new policies, the Conservatives took advantage of Liberal infighting to win a minority government in the 1943 provincial election, reducing the Liberals to third-party status. Drew called another election in 1945, only two years into his mandate, to get a majority government, the party would dominate Ontario politics for the next four decades. In 1961, John Robarts became the 17th premier of Ontario and he was one of the most popular premiers in years. Under Robarts lead, the party epitomized power and he hosted the 1967 Confederation of Tomorrow conference in Toronto in an unsuccessful attempt to achieve an agreement for a new Constitution of Canada. Robarts opposed Canadian medicare when it was proposed, but later endorsed it fully, and he led the party towards a civil libertarian movement. As a strong believer in the promotion of official languages, he opened the door to French education in Ontario schools. In 1971, Bill Davis became party leader and the 18th premier, anti-Catholicism became an issue again in the 1971 election, when the Tories campaigned strenuously against a Liberal proposal to extend funding for Catholic separate schools until Grade 13
13.
Ontario Liberal Party
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The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the election of 2003. The party is aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada. The party is led by Kathleen Wynne, who was sworn in as Premier of Ontario on February 11,2013 after winning the Ontario Liberal leadership election on January 26,2013. The modern Liberals were founded by George Brown, who sought to rebuild the Reform Party after its collapse in 1854, the party adopted a position in favour of uniting Upper and Lower Canada into the United Province of Canada, a concept that eventually led to Canadian confederation. After 1867, Edward Blake became leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, the party sat in opposition to the Conservative government led by John Sandfield Macdonald. Blakes Liberals defeated the Tories in 1871, but Blake left Queens Park for Ottawa the next year, Mowat served as Premier of Ontario until 1896. The Liberals were defeated in 1905 after over thirty years in power, the party had grown tired and arrogant in government and became increasingly cautious. As well, a growing anti-Catholic sectarian sentiment hurt the Liberals, the party was so disorganized that it was led for seven years by an interim leader, W. E. N. Sinclair, as there was not enough money or a sufficient level of organization, by 1930, the Liberals were reduced to a small, rural and prohibitionist rump with a base in south western Ontario. After a series of leaders, the Liberals turned to Mitchell Hepburn. Hepburn was able to build a coalition with Liberal-Progressives and attract reformers. The Liberal-Progressives had previously supported the UFO and the Progressive Party of Canada, a wet, Hepburn was able to end the divisions in the party around the issue of temperance which had reduced it to a narrow sect. The revitalized party was able to win votes from farmers, particularly in southwestern Ontario, urban Ontario, Catholics. It also had the advantage of not being in power at the onset of the Great Depression, with the economy in crisis, Ontarians looked for a new government, and Hepburns populism was able to excite the province. In government, Hepburns Liberals warred with organized labour led by the Congress of Industrial Organizations, later, he battled with the federal Liberal Party of Canada government of William Lyon Mackenzie King, which, Hepburn argued, was insufficiently supportive of the war effort. The battle between Hepburn and King split the Ontario Liberal Party and led to Hepburns ouster as leader and it also contributed to the partys defeat in the 1943 election, which was followed by the partys long stint in opposition. The Liberals declined to a wing, rural rump
14.
Ontario New Democratic Party
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The Ontario New Democratic Party is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961 from the Ontario section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, for many years, the ONDP was the most successful provincial NDP branch outside the national partys western heartland. After the 1970 leadership convention, Stephen Lewis became leader, and guided the party to Official Opposition status in 1975, after the partys disappointing performance in the 1977 provincial election, that included losing second party status, Lewis stepped down and Michael Cassidy was elected leader in 1978. Cassidy lead the party through one campaign, the 1981 election, the party did poorly again, and Cassidy resigned. In 1982, Bob Rae was elected leader, under his leadership, in 1985, the party held the balance-of-power with the signing of an accord with the newly elected Liberal minority government. After the 1987 Ontario general election, the ONDP became the Official Opposition again, the 1990 Ontario general election surprisingly produced the ONDPs breakthrough first government in 1990. The victory produced the first NDP provincial government east of Manitoba, however, it took power just when Canadas economy was in a recession, and as a result of unpopular economic policies it was defeated in 1995. Rae stepped down as leader in 1996, Howard Hampton was elected leader in at the 1996 Hamilton convention, and lead the party through three elections. Hamptons period as leader saw the ONDP lose official party status twice, the party maintained party status after the 2007 Ontario general election and he stepped down as leader in 2009. Andrea Horwath replaced him after she was elected leader at the 2009 leadership convention in Hamilton, under her leadership in the 2011 Ontario general election, the party elected 17 MPPs to the legislature and in the 2014 Ontario general election, the party elected 21 MPPs. The NDPs predecessor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, was a democratic socialist political party, the Ontario CCF in turn was indirectly the successor to the 1919–23 United Farmers of Ontario–Labour coalition that formed the government in Ontario under Ernest C. With Ted Jolliffe as their first leader, the party won the 1943 Ontario provincial election, winning 34 seats. Two-years later, they would be reduced to 8 seats, the final glory for the Ontario CCF came in the 1948 election, when party elected 21 MPPs, and again formed the official opposition. They were even able to defeat Premier George A, drew in his own constituency, when the CCFs Bill Temple won in High Park, even though the Conservatives won another majority government. The breaking point for the Ontario CCF came in 1951 and they were reduced to two MPPs in that years provincial election, and never really recovered. In the two remaining elections while it existed, the party never had more than five members in the legislature, Jolliffe resigned as leader in 1953. The Ontario CCF Council ceased to exist formally on Sunday,8 October 1961, the Ontario NDP gradually picked up seats through the 1960s
15.
Sudbury (provincial electoral district)
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Sudbury is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1908. It is one of the two serving the city of Greater Sudbury. Its population in 2001 was 89,443, Sudbury was given its own riding provincially in the 1908 election, when the former riding of Nipissing West was divided into Sudbury and Sturgeon Falls. The rest of the original Sudbury riding was incorporated into the new riding of Nickel Belt, the riding of Sudbury East was additionally created in 1967. Federally, however, the city remained part of the Nipissing electoral district until 1947, prior to its creation, the town of Sudbury was part of the district of Nipissing West. In 1996, Ontario was divided into the electoral districts as those used for federal electoral purposes. They were redistributed whenever a readjustment took place at the federal level, in 2005, legislation was passed by the Legislature to divide Ontario into 107 electoral districts, beginning with the next provincial election in 2007. The eleven northern districts are those defined for federal purposes in 1996. The 96 southern electoral districts are defined for federal electoral purposes in 2003. Without this legislation, the number of districts in northern Ontario would have been reduced from eleven to ten. This riding has elected the members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
16.
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
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The Legislative Assembly of Ontario is one of two components of the Legislature of Ontario, the other being the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. The Legislative Assembly is the second largest Canadian provincial deliberative assembly by number of members after the National Assembly of Quebec, the Assembly meets at the Ontario Legislative Building at Queens Park in the provincial capital of Toronto. The premier is Ontarios head of government, while the Lieutenant Governor, as representative of the Queen, the largest party not forming the government is known as the Official Opposition, its leader being recognized as Leader of the Opposition by the Speaker. The Ontario Legislature is sometimes referred to as the Ontario Provincial Parliament, Members of the assembly refer to themselves as Members of the Provincial Parliament as opposed to Members of the Legislative Assembly as in many other provinces. Ontario is the province to do so, in accordance with a resolution passed in the Assembly on April 7,1938. However, the Legislative Assembly Act refers only to members of the Assembly, the current assembly was elected on June 12,2014 as part of the 41st Parliament of Ontario. The first session of the 41st Parliament opened on July 2,2014, on Friday May 2,2014, the 40th Parliament of Ontario was dissolved by Lieutenant Governor David C. Onley on the advice of Premier Kathleen Wynne after the NDP, the election was held on June 12,2014, as a result of which Kathleen Wynnes Liberal Party formed a majority government. Queens Park is a metonym for the Legislative Assembly, in accordance with the traditions of the Westminster System, most laws originate with the cabinet, and are passed by the legislature after stages of debate and decision-making. Ordinary Members of the Legislature may introduce privately, play an role in scrutinizing bills in debate and committee. Members are expected to be loyal to both their parliamentary party and to the interests of their constituents, in the Ontario legislature this confrontation provides much of the material for Oral Questions and Members Statements. Legislative scrutiny of the executive is also at the heart of much of the carried out by the Legislatures Standing Committees. Finally, it is the task of the legislature to provide the personnel of the executive, as already noted, under responsible government, ministers of the Crown are expected to be Members of the Assembly. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the first and the legislature in Canada to have a Coat of Arms separate from the provincial coat of arms. Green and gold are the colours in the shield of arms of the province. The Mace is the symbol of the authority of the Speaker. Shown on the left is the current Mace, on the right is the original Mace from the time of the first parliament in 1792. The crossed Maces are joined by the shield of arms of Ontario, the crown on the wreath represents national and provincial loyalties, its rim is studded with the provincial gemstone, the amethyst
17.
Flag of Manitoba
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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 proclaimed on May 12,1966. Queen Elizabeth II gave permission for the use of the Union device the preceding year, 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 flag was changed. The flag of Ontario was adopted under similar circumstances, Flag of Ontario Symbols of Manitoba Provincial Flag Act of Manitoba - including the official description of the flag. Government of Manitoba, Travel Manitoba, Official Emblems, the Flags of Canada - Manitoba 2001 Flag Contest Winner - winner of the Winnipeg Free Press contest to choose a possible replacement for Manitobas British red ensign. Good Flag, Bad Flag - the North American Vexillological Association uses Manitobas flag as an example of bad flag design, Flag of Manitoba in the online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges
18.
Saint George's Cross
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Saint Georges Cross, also called Cross of Saint George, is a red cross on a white background. Sometimes associated with Saint George, the saint, often depicted as a crusader from the late Middle Ages, the cross has appeared on many flags, emblems, standards. Its first documented use was as the ensign of the Republic of Genoa, the cross is also found, for various reasons, on the provincial flags of Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel and Barcelona. In Northern Ireland the cross appears on the flag of the loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force, Saint George became widely venerated as a warrior saint during the Third Crusade. There was a legend that he had miraculously assisted Godfrey of Bouillon, however, there was no association of the red cross with St George before the end of the crusades. The red-on-white combination was chosen by Genoa and Aragon, among others, Saint George was depicted as a crusader knight during this time, but the red cross had no particular association with him. A crusader-era fresco in the crypt of Trani cathedral shows Saint George wearing a cross on a red surcoat. It continued to be used as the Reichssturmfahne of the Holy Roman Empire, eventually giving rise to the flag of Savoy and the present-day flags of Switzerland and Denmark). The association with the Saint of the red-on-white cross probably arises in Genoa, a vexillum beati Georgii is mentioned in the Genovese annals for the year 1198, referring to a red flag with a depiction of St George and the dragon. An illumination of this flag is shown in the annals for the year 1227, the Genoese flag with the red cross was used alongside this Georges flag, from at least 1218, and was known as the insignia cruxata comunis Janue. The flag showing the saint himself was the principal war flag. The cross ceased to be a symbol associated with the taking of the cross. With the development of heraldry, there was great demand for variations of the cross symbol. Juliana Berners reports that there were Crossis innumerabull born dayli, the term St Georges cross was at first associated with any plain Greek cross touching the edges of the field. Thomas Fuller in 1647 spoke of the plain or St Georges cross as the mother of all the others. Edward III of England chose Saint George as the saint of his Order of the Garter in 1348. There was a tradition claiming that Richard the Lionheart himself adopted both the flag and the patron saint from Genoa at some point during his crusade. This idea can be traced to the Victorian era, Perrin refers to it as a common belief, the English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege
19.
North American Vexillological Association
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The North American Vexillological Association is an American and Canadian membership organization devoted to vexillology, the scientific and scholarly study of flags. It was founded in 1967 by American vexillologist Whitney Smith and others, the association is a charter member of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations, and is among the largest vexillological organizations. President, John M. Hartvigsen First Vice President, Luc Baronian, second Vice President, Ted McNabb Secretary, Lee Herold Treasurer, John S. Adcock, J. D. Editor, Raven, A Journal of Vexillology, Kenneth W. Reynolds, Ph. D. Editors, Flag Research Quarterly, Kenneth A. Hartvigsen, Ph. D. & Steven A. Knowlton, M. L. I. S Editor, NAVA News, the length of the top side of the blue triangle is the same as the width of the flag. The colors are taken from the flags of the two countries covered by the Association, Canada and the United States. Since 1967, the Association has held meetings across the United States and Canada for all those interested in flags to present and discuss research. Since 1977, it has marked each meeting with a distinctive flag, American City Flags, a book published by the Association
20.
Etobicoke Centre (provincial electoral district)
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Etobicoke Centre is a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and it was created in 1999 from parts of Etobicoke West and Etobicoke—Humber. In 2007, the border was altered to follow Dixon Road all the way to Humber River. Elections Ontario Past Election Results Elections Ontario - Electoral District Map
21.
Royal assent
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Royal assent is the method by which a countrys constitutional monarch formally approves an act of that nations parliament, thus making it a law or letting it be promulgated as law. Royal assent is sometimes associated with elaborate ceremonies, however, royal assent is usually granted less ceremonially by letters patent. In other nations, such as Australia, the Governor-General merely signs the bill, in Canada, the Governor-General may give assent either in person at a ceremony held in the Senate or by a written declaration notifying parliament of his or her agreement to the bill. Before the Royal Assent by Commission Act of 1541 became law, the last time royal assent was given by the sovereign in person was during the rule of Queen Victoria at a prorogation on the 12th of August 1854. The Act was repealed and replaced by the Royal Assent Act of 1967, Royal assent is the final step required for a parliamentary bill to become law. -the sovereign may delay the bills assent through the use of his or her powers in near-revolutionary situations. -the sovereign may refuse royal assent on the advice of his or her ministers, under modern constitutional conventions, the sovereign acts on the advice of his or her ministers. Since these ministers most often maintain the support of parliament and are the ones who obtain the passage of bills, it is highly improbable that they would advise the sovereign to withhold assent. Hence, in practice, royal assent is always granted. The Monarch does not have the power to withhold a Bill from assenting, the last bill that was refused assent by the sovereign was the Scottish Militia Bill during Queen Annes reign in 1708. The so-called Model Parliament included bishops, abbots, earls, barons, in 1265, the Earl of Leicester irregularly called a full parliament without royal authorization. The body eventually came to be divided into two branches, bishops, abbots, earls, and barons formed the House of Lords, while the shire, the King would seek the advice and consent of both houses before making any law. The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 provide a second potential preamble if the House of Lords were to be excluded from the process, the power of parliament to pass bills was often thwarted by monarchs. Charles I dissolved parliament in 1629, after it passed motions critical of, during the eleven years of personal rule that followed, Charles performed legally dubious actions, such as raising taxes without parliaments approval. After the English Civil War, it was accepted that parliament should be summoned to meet regularly, the last Stuart monarch, Anne, similarly withheld on 11 March 1707, on the advice of her ministers, her assent from a bill for the settling of Militia in Scotland. No monarch has since withheld royal assent on a passed by the British parliament. During the rule of the succeeding Hanoverian dynasty, power was gradually exercised more by parliament, the first Hanoverian monarch, George I, relied on his ministers to a greater extent than did previous monarchs. However, George IV reluctantly granted his assent upon the advice of his ministers, thus, as the concept of ministerial responsibility has evolved, the power to withhold royal assent has fallen into disuse, both in the United Kingdom and in the other Commonwealth realms
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Flags of the lieutenant governors of Canada
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As the viceregal representative of the monarch of Canada, the lieutenant governors of the Canadian provinces have since Confederation been entitled to and have used a personal standard. Within a lieutenant governors province, this standard has precedence over any other flag, including the national one, the provincial viceregal flags are also subordinate to the governor generals personal standard, save for when the governor general is present as a guest of the lieutenant governor. In 1980, a new design was introduced and is used by each provinces lieutenant governor, except for Quebec. Each flag consists of the escutcheon of the arms of the province circled with ten gold maple leaves surmounted by a St. Edwards Crown on a field of blue. Though approved in 1980, most provinces adopted this new design in 1981. The personal standard is flown at the office or home of the lieutenant governor and it is also attached to the front fender of the car or on the provincial landau that the lieutenant governor is riding in. The standard is never flown on a church or inside a church, should a lieutenant governor die while in office, the standard is taken down until a successor is sworn in. For the other provinces many of them used a defaced Union Jack with the arms in the centre. Flag of the Governor General of Canada List of Canadian flags Royal standards of Canada Standards of Lieutenant-Governor - Canadian Heritage website
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Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
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The current Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is Elizabeth Dowdeswell. The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is vested with a number of duties and is also expected to undertake various ceremonial roles. For instance, the lieutenant governor acts as patron of certain Ontario institutions, the viceroy further presents the Royal Canadian Humane Association medal, the Lincoln M. Since 2011, the incumbent Lieutenant Governor has served ex officio as the Colonel of the Regiment of the Queens York Rangers, a unit in the Canadian Army. The honorary appointment recognizes the regiment’s links to John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and the regiments commander during the American War of Independence. The office of Lieutenant Governor of Ontario came into being in 1867, upon the creation of Ontario at Confederation, with the election in 1937 of the Liberal Party to a majority in the Legislative Assembly, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Ontario was targeted for spending cutbacks. Government House was closed and the viceroy given a suite at the Legislative Building as a replacement, monarchy in the Canadian provinces Government of Ontario Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
24.
Franco-Ontarian
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Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as Ontarois, according to the 2006 Canadian census, there were 488,815 self-declared francophones in Ontario, comprising 4.1 per cent of the provinces total population. A further 1,000,000 Ontarians self-declared French to be one of mother tongues. According to the subsequent 2011 Canadian census, there were 493,300 self-declared francophones in Ontario comprising 3. 9% of the total population. There were 284,115 Ontarians who declared French as their home language, Franco-Ontarians constitute the largest French-speaking community in Canada outside of Quebec, as well as the largest minority language group within Ontario. Other communities with notable populations are Lakeshore, Windsor, Penetanguishene. Most communities in Ontario have at least a few Franco-Ontarian residents, Ottawa, with 128,620 francophones, has the provinces largest Franco-Ontarian community by size. Some smaller communities in Ontario have a francophone majority and these include Hearst, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, Embrun, St. Charles, Sturgeon Falls, Rockland, Casselman, Dubreuilville, Vankleek Hill and Hawkesbury. The French presence in Ontario dates from the mid-17th century, early settlements in the region include the Mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons at Midland in 1649, Sault Sainte Marie in 1668, and Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit in 1701. Southern Ontario was part of the Pays den-haut of New France and was part of the province of Quebec until Quebec was split into The Canadas in 1791. Modern Franco-Ontarians are instead descended primarily from people who moved to Ontario from Quebec or New Brunswick in the 19th and 20th centuries, in popular usage, the first meaning predominates and the second is poorly understood. Although most Franco-Ontarians meet both definitions, there are notable exceptions, both meanings can be politically charged. The Franco-Ontarian identity is further split into three groups according to historical waves of settlement and immigration, the first wave of settlement in the Detroit/Windsor area came in the 18th century, under French rule. Most settlers then came from what is now Quebec, including both full French and Métis, a second wave came in the 19th and early 20th centuries to the areas of Eastern Ontario and Northeastern Ontario. In the Ottawa Valley, in particular, some families have moved back and forth across the Ottawa river for generations, which results in a complex borderland identity. In the city of Ottawa some areas such as Vanier and Orleans have a rich Francophone heritage, the third and most recent wave consists of Quebecers and other francophones who move to the larger cities and often preserve their original identity as their primary cultural affiliation. Franco-Ontarians may also have ties to more than one of these three groups, which blurs the lines between these distinctions. Intermarriage between Franco-Ontarians and people of ethnic or cultural backgrounds is also quite common
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Upper Canada
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The new province remained, for the next fifty years of growth and settlement, the colonial government of the territory. Upper Canada existed from 26 December 1791 to 10 February 1841, the upper prefix in the name reflects its geographic position being closer to the headwaters of the Saint Lawrence River than that of Lower Canada to the northeast. The control the French had over Canada was handed over to Great Britain in 1763 when the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years War in America. The territories of modern southern Ontario and southern Quebec were initially maintained as the single Province of Quebec, from 1763 to 1791, the Province of Quebec maintained its French language, cultural behavioural expectations, practices and laws. This region quickly became culturally distinct, while the act addressed some religious issues, it did not appease those used to English law. Upper Canada became an entity on December 26,1791 with the Parliament of Great Britains passage of the Constitutional Act of 1791. The act divided the Province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada, the first lieutenant-governor was John Graves Simcoe. On February 1,1796, the capital of Upper Canada was moved from Newark to York, which was judged to be less vulnerable to attack by the Americans. Upper Canadas constitution was said to be the image and transcript of the British constitution. The Executive Council of Upper Canada had a function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly. They held a position, however, and did not serve in administrative offices as cabinet ministers do. Members of the Executive Council were not necessarily members of the Legislative Assembly but were members of the Legislative Council. The Legislative branch of the government consisted of the parliament comprising legislative council, forces in the War of 1812, rebuilt, then burned again by accident. The site was abandoned for another, to the west. The Legislative Council of Upper Canada was the upper house governing the province of Upper Canada, although modelled after the British House of Lords, Upper Canada had no aristocracy. Members of the Legislative council, appointed for life, formed the core of the group, the Family Compact. The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada functioned as the house in the Parliament of Upper Canada. Its legislative power was subject to veto by the appointed Lieutenant Governor, Executive Council, local government in the Province of Upper Canada was based on districts
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Canada
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Canada is a country in the northern half of North America. Canadas border with the United States is the worlds longest binational land border, the majority of the country has a cold or severely cold winter climate, but southerly areas are warm in summer. Canada is sparsely populated, the majority of its territory being dominated by forest and tundra. It is highly urbanized with 82 per cent of the 35.15 million people concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, One third of the population lives in the three largest cities, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Its capital is Ottawa, and other urban areas include Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec City, Winnipeg. Various aboriginal peoples had inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years prior to European colonization. Pursuant to the British North America Act, on July 1,1867, the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick and this began an accretion of provinces and territories to the mostly self-governing Dominion to the present ten provinces and three territories forming modern Canada. With the Constitution Act 1982, Canada took over authority, removing the last remaining ties of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II being the head of state. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level and it is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many other countries. Its advanced economy is the eleventh largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources, Canadas long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its economy and culture. Canada is a country and has the tenth highest nominal per capita income globally as well as the ninth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, Canada is an influential nation in the world, primarily due to its inclusive values, years of prosperity and stability, stable economy, and efficient military. While a variety of theories have been postulated for the origins of Canada. In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier to the village of Stadacona, from the 16th to the early 18th century Canada referred to the part of New France that lay along the St. Lawrence River. In 1791, the area became two British colonies called Upper Canada and Lower Canada collectively named The Canadas, until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, Canada was adopted as the name for the new country at the London Conference. The transition away from the use of Dominion was formally reflected in 1982 with the passage of the Canada Act, later that year, the name of national holiday was changed from Dominion Day to Canada Day
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Provinces and territories of Canada
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Canadas geography is divided into administrative divisions known as provinces and territories that are responsible for delivery of sub-national governance. Over its history, Canadas international borders have changed several times, the ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. Several of the provinces were former British colonies, Quebec was originally a French colony, the three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon, which govern the rest of the area of the former British North America. Together, the provinces and territories make up the worlds second-largest country by area, the powers flowing from the Constitution Act are divided between the federal government and the provincial governments to exercise exclusively. In modern Canadian constitutional theory, the provinces are considered to be co-sovereign divisions, the territories are not sovereign, but simply part of the federal realm, and have a commissioner who represents the federal government. Notes, There are three territories in Canada, unlike the provinces, the territories of Canada have no inherent sovereignty and have only those powers delegated to them by the federal government. They include all of mainland Canada north of latitude 60° north and west of Hudson Bay, the following table lists the territories in order of precedence. Prior to Confederation, Ontario and Quebec were united as the Province of Canada, over the following years, Manitoba, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island were added as provinces. The Hudsons Bay Company controlled large swathes of western Canada referred to as Ruperts Land and the North-Western Territory until 1870, subsequently, the area was re-organized into the province of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. The remaining Arctic islands were transferred by Britain to Canada in 1880,1898 saw the Yukon Territory, later renamed simply as Yukon, carved from the parts of the Northwest Territories surrounding the Klondike gold fields. On September 1,1905, a portion of the Northwest Territories south of the 60th parallel north became the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 1912, the boundaries of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba were expanded northward, Manitobas to the 60° parallel, Ontarios to Hudson Bay, in 1907, Newfoundland acquired dominion status. In the middle of the Great Depression in Canada with Newfoundland facing a period of economic crisis. In 2001, it was officially renamed Newfoundland and Labrador, in 1903, the Alaska Panhandle Dispute fixed British Columbias northwestern boundary. This was one of two provinces in Canadian history to have its size reduced. In 1999, Nunavut was created from the portion of the Northwest Territories. Yukon lies in the portion of The North, while Nunavut is in the east. All three territories combined are the most sparsely populated region in Canada, covering 3,921,739 km2 in land area and they are often referred to as a single region, The North, for organisational and economic purposes
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Flag of Alberta
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The flag of Alberta is an official symbol of the province of Alberta, Canada. In 1968, the legislature authorized the design of a flag. The flag has the proportions 1,2, with the shield of arms in the centre of an ultramarine blue background. The shields height is 7⁄11 that of the flags height, the flag was designed and approved as the official provincial flag by the Alberta legislature on June 1,1968. The Calgary Flames use the flag as a shoulder patch logo on their home, list of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols Coat of arms of Alberta Symbols of Alberta Franco, Guida. Legislative Assembly of Alberta – The Citizens Guide to the Alberta Legislature, Part V, The Emblems of Alberta Arms and flag of Alberta in the online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges
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Flag of British Columbia
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The flag of British Columbia is based upon the shield of the provincial arms of British Columbia. From 1870 to 1906, British Columbia was occasionally represented by a modified British blue ensign featuring various forms of the seal of the Colony of British Columbia. The current flag of British Columbia was based upon the 1906 arms of the province, 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, the four wavy white and three wavy blue lines symbolize the provinces location between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. The setting sun represents the fact that British Columbia is Canadas westernmost province, the sun may also reflect the provincial motto Splendor sine occasu —or, in other words, the sun that never sets. In Canada, it could be argued, the Empire lives on in the countrys symbols, the Union Flag on top reflects the provinces British heritage, while the King Edward crown in the centre represents the Canadian Royal Family. The flag has a ratio of 3,5. The flag of British Columbia is similar to the flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory and it also bears similarities to the flag of the county of Suffolk in the United Kingdom
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Flag of New Brunswick
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The flag of New Brunswick, Canada, is a banner modelled after the provinces coat of arms and was adopted by proclamation on February 24,1965. The flag has the proportions 8,5, a gold lion on the red field across the top one-third of the flag represents New Brunswicks ties to both the Brunswick region in Germany and the Monarch of Canada. The lower two-thirds of the flag depicts a Scottish Lymphad, the representation of a ship in heraldry. It represents shipbuilding, one of the main industries at the time the coat of arms was adopted. The flag ranked #18 in the North American Vexillological Associations survey of North American state, Symbols of New Brunswick Symbols of New Brunswick History of the Symbols of New Brunswick Arms and flag of New Brunswick in the online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges
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Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador
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The flag of Newfoundland and Labrador was introduced in 1980, and was designed by Newfoundland artist Christopher Pratt. The flag design, with the proportions 2,1, was approved by the House of Assembly of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and it was flown for the first time on Discovery Day, June 24,1980. The design was due to its broad symbolism. The blue triangles are meant as a tribute to the Union Jack, the two red triangles are meant to represent the two areas of the province—the mainland and the island. The red triangles and the gold arrow form a trident, symbolizing the provinces dependence on its fisheries, the Red Ensign was officially endorsed by King Charles II in 1674, this authorisation recognised it as the ensign of English merchant shipping. Later, during the Victorian era, the flag --with colonial badge-- formed the basis as the Colony of Newfoundlands civil ensign, old oil paintings show red ensigns flying from the topmasts of Grand Banks schooners. While 19th century photographs show red ensigns flown at Moravian mission stations and Hudsons Bay Company trading posts along the Labrador Coast, in 1904, the British Parliament designated a civil ensign specifically for Newfoundland. Between 1907 and 1931, however, the red ensign gained wide enough use, the badge in the ensigns consists of Mercury, the god of commerce and merchandise, presenting to Britannia a fisherman who, in a kneeling attitude, is offering the harvest of all the sea. Above the device in a scroll are the Latin words Terra Nova, the seal was redesigned by Adelaine Lane, niece of Governor Sir Cavendish Boyle. The old flag of Newfoundland was the Union Jack and it was legally adopted in 1931 and used as Newfoundlands national flag until confederation with Canada in 1949. It was then readopted as the provincial flag in 1952. An unofficial flag presented in recent years as the Newfoundland Tricolour or Pink, White, the flag has the proportions 2,1 with each stripe occupying equal thirds of the flag length. It exists in Canadian heraldry, its trice is present in the flag of the St. Johns Fire Department and in the flag of Paradise, Newfoundland. It also appears on the crests or escutcheons of some armorial bearings portrayed in the Public Register of Arms, Flags, the origins of the Pink, White and Green are obscure. Johns and surrounding area Catholic groups shortly thereafter, given that, it was likely based on the similar flag of Ireland. The vert was said to represent the flag of Brian Boru, the rose symbolized the Rose of England, Pink has never been used in any known fashion to represent England, its people or any of the Protestant denominations. Protestants were not included at all, the flag gained a sentimental resurgence in the 1990s/2000s both as a political statement and on products aimed at the tourism industry. The flag of the Fédération des Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador is based on the French tricolour and Acadian flag, two yellow sails are set on the line between the white and red panels
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Flag of the Northwest Territories
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The current flag of the Northwest Territories, Canada, was adopted in 1969 by the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. The original flag of the Hudsons Bay Company served as the flag from the moment Ruperts Land. After Saskatchewan and Alberta were created out of the Northwest Territories most populous areas in 1905, the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories was created in 1951. The Northwest Territories first official flag was chosen by a committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in 1969. The committee reviewed entries from a Canada wide contest, the winner of the contest was Robert Bessant from Margaret, Manitoba. The flag features a field, on which is a Canadian pale, with at the centre. The blue represents the abundant Northwest Territories waters, whereas the white represents snow, two blue panels represent the Northwest Territories many rivers and lakes. The white section, representing ice and snow, is equal in area to the 2 blue panels combined, the territorial Shield is centred in the white section. The white section of the Shield, with a blue line dividing it, represents the Arctic Ocean. A diagonal line, representing the line, divides the lower portion into a green and red section with green symbolizing the trees. The gold bars in the section and the white fox in the red section represent the abundant minerals and furs upon which the history. Symbols of the Northwest Territories The Franco-Ténois flag Symbols of Northwest Territories, Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories The Flags of Canada, by Alistair B
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Flag of Nunavut
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The official flag of Nunavut was proclaimed on 1 April,1999, along with the territory of Nunavut in Canada. It features a red inuksuk—a traditional Inuit land marker—and a blue star, which represents the Niqirtsuituq, the North Star, the colours blue and yellow represent the riches of the land, sea and sky. It was adopted following a process where input was sought from local communities, the flag of the Canadian territory of Nunavut consists of gold and white fields divided vertically by a red inuksuk with a blue star in the upper fly. The colours blue and gold were selected to represent the riches of land, sea, the inuksuk, which divides the flag, is a traditional stone monument used to guide travellers and to mark sacred sites. The process of creating a flag for Nunavut began prior to its creation as a territory in 1999, in deference to the elders of the Inuit communities of Nunavut, the development of both the Nunavut flag and coat of arms was guided by their input. The process sought to give the public an opportunity to offer input into the colours, the group then put out a call for submissions across all of Canada, and received over 800. These submissions were reviewed and winnowed by a made up of artists. From the symbols and colours of these ten finalists, five draft designs of the flag were developed and they were assisted in drafting these by local Inuit artist Andrew Qappik. The final version of the flag was reviewed and accepted by the responsible for its adoption as well as the Governor General of Canada. It was officially unveiled on 1 April 1999, the day both the territory and government of Nunavut became official. Following its adoption, the flag has been criticized for vexillological reasons, symbols of Nunavut Coat of arms of Nunavut Arms and flag of Nunavut in the online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges
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Flag of Prince Edward Island
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The flag of Prince Edward Island, Canada, is a banner modelled after the provincial arms. The flag has the proportions 2,3, the three away from the mast are bordered by alternating bands of red and white. The upper third of the features the English heraldic lion which appeared both on the coat of arms of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, for whom the province is named. The lower two-thirds show an island on which three small oak saplings – representing the three counties of PEI – under the protection of a great oak tree which represents Great Britain. This symbolism is reflected in the provincial motto, Parva sub ingenti. Beneath the lion is a plot of grass representing PEI and England. Framing the flag on the three away from the mast are alternating bands of red and white, the official colors of Canada. The flag was adopted on March 24,1964, government of Prince Edward Island, InfoPEI, Provincial Symbols Flag of Prince Edward Island in the online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges]
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Flag of Quebec
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The flag of Quebec, called the Fleurdelisé, was adopted for the province by the government of Quebec during the administration of Maurice Duplessis. It was the first provincial flag adopted in Canada, first shown on January 21,1948. Quebecs Flag Day commemorates its adoption each year, though for some time it was celebrated in May, at least one parade marked the flags 60th anniversary in January 2008. Article 2 of An Act respecting the flag and emblems of Québec confers the status of national emblem to the flag of Québec, the Fleurdelisé takes its white cross from the ancient royal flags of France. Its white fleurs-de-lis and blue field come from a banner honouring the Virgin Mary, one such was reputedly carried by French Canadian militia at General Louis-Joseph de Montcalms victory at Carillon. The flag is blazoned Azure, a cross between four fleurs-de-lis argent and its horizontal symmetry allows both sides of the flag to show the same image. The flags official ratio is 2,3, but the flag is often seen as a 1,2 variant to match the flag of Canada in size when flying together. The Act concerning the flag and emblems of Quebec states that in all cases, however, under federal protocol, the Canadian flag takes precedence when both are flown. The official shade of blue is Pantone 293, in 8-bit RGB, it is #003399. Unofficial variants using a lighter blue are common, the desire of French Canadians in Quebec for a distinctive flag was longstanding. The direct predecessor of the modern Fleurdelisé was created by Elphège Filiatrault, called the Carillon, it resembled the modern flag except that the fleurs-de-lis were at the corners pointing inward. It was based on a flag with no cross and with the figure of the Virgin Mary in the centre. The Carillon flag was first raised on September 26,1902, another version, with the Sacred Heart in the centre, also appeared, but was left behind in the push for a new provincial flag after World War II. The Carillon flags were used informally, on May 26,1868, Queen Victoria approved Quebecs first coat of arms. A flag might have been devised by using the arms to deface a blue ensign, in addition, in 1938, at the opening of a mining school in Val-dOr, the flag used to represent the Quebec government was a banner of arms. This was done at the behest of public servant Burroughs Pelletier, various ideas were discussed between Chaloult, Lionel Groulx, and Maurice Duplessis. One such idea involved incorporating a red maple leaf, Burroughs Pelletier was also asked to present a few proposals to Duplessis, none of which were adopted. He was however consulted about what became the present design, on January 21,1948, the new flag was adopted and was flown over the Parliament Building that very afternoon
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Flag of Saskatchewan
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The flag of Saskatchewan features the armorial bearings in the upper quarter nearest the staff, with the floral emblem, the western red lily, in the fly. The upper green half of the flag represents the northern Saskatchewan forest lands, while the lower half symbolizes the southern. The flag is constructed in the proportions 1,2, the current flag of Saskatchewan was adopted on September 22,1969, the result of a province-wide competition that drew over four thousand entries. The winning entry was designed by Anthony Drake of Hodgeville, Saskatchewan, in 1964, a special flag was granted to Saskatchewan in honour of the provinces sixtieth anniversary. The Saskatchewan government organized a competition for a flag in anticipation of the 60th anniversary of the Province. It was recommended that the colours of the coat of arms, granted by royal warrant in 1906. The winning flag was selected out of 241 entries and was designed by Sister Imelda Burgart of St. Angela’s Convent at Prelate, the Diamond Jubilee Flag of Saskatchewan was first officially hoisted on January 31,1965. The use of flag was soon extended to the Centennial celebrations of 1967. For these events, the flag was flown in place of the provincial flag. The flag features a stylized stalk of wheat towards the staff, the flags background is red in its upper half and green in its lower half. This flag appears in both 3,2 and 2,1 ratios, and it is not used officially, list of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols Symbols of Saskatchewan Flag of Saskatchewan in the online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges Saskatchewan – Flags of the World
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Flag of Yukon
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The flag of Yukon, Canada, is a green, white, and blue tricolour with the coat of arms of Yukon at the centre above a wreath of fireweed, the territorial flower. An official flag for Yukon was created during the 1960s, a decade in which the flag of Canada was chosen as well as several other provincial flags were created. The flag of Yukon was officially selected from a design competition in 1967. The flag of Yukon was officially adopted on March 1,1968, the flag was chosen from a territory-wide competition as part of Canadas Centennial celebrations of 1967. The competition was sponsored by the Whitehorse branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, a C$100 prize was offered to the winning design. There were a total of 137 submissions with the design coming from Yukon College graduate Lynn Lambert. Lambert submitted 10 designs of one made the final three designs as selected by a committee, with his eventually being named the winner. A prototype design was sent to Ottawa for suitable heraldic description, an expert in Ottawa sent back an amended version of the submitted flag design. The committee in Whitehorse however kept with the original design, the flag was adopted by the Flag Ordinance assented to on December 1,1967. The crest of the Coat of Arms is a Malamute sled dog, the shield of the Coat of Arms contains at the top, a cross of St. George for England with a roundel with a pattern of vair, called Roundel in Vair. Below in the middle of the shield are two lines representing Yukons rivers on a blue background. Finally at the bottom of the shield are two red triangles representing Yukons mountains with gold circles in them representing the Yukons great mineral resources, the flag of Yukon has a flag ratio of 1,2, equivalent to the flag of Canada. The centre white panel is larger by one and a half times the width of each of the two panels, for a pale ratio of 1 to 1.5 to 1. In flag terminology, the flag is a tricolour, meaning it has three colours, in equal size. However, it may not be considered a true tricolour as it is defaced, containing the coat of arms of Yukon, where a true tricolour contains no additional symbols. Symbols of Yukon Coat of arms of Yukon Government of Yukon, The Yukon Flag Yukon Flag at FOTW. net Yukon - Flag Flag of Yukon in the online Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges
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Flag of Calgary
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The official flag of Calgary was designed by Gwin Clarke and Yvonne Fritz. The flag was adopted in 1983 as result of a contest, the design contains a cowboy hat and the letter C on a red background. The hat is somewhat shaped like a hand, as a sign of hospitality, a white hat tucked in the letter C symbolises the citizens living inside their city. The city wide contest to select the flag was organized by the North Calgary JCs, over 1,000 submissions were received and after three sessions, narrowed down to three choices, which was then turned over to the city. Coat of arms of Calgary Flag of Alberta City of Calgary, Administration Services Frequently Asked Questions
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Flag of Hamilton, Ontario
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The official flag of Hamilton, Ontario, was designed by Bishop Ralph Spence and granted to the city on July 15,2003. The flag was designed to complement the Canadian flag being a Triband with a Canadian pale at centre. The colours are yellow and royal blue, in the centre is a golden yellow Cinquefoil which, as the badge of Clan Hamilton, represents the citys name. The chain on the outside symbolizes both unity and the steel industry. The six links in the chain represent the six communities, Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, Glanbrook. On a field golden yellow a Canadian pale royal blue charged with a cinquefoil encircled by a chain of six large and six small links alternated, city of Hamilton Official Page FOTW Flags Of The World website - Hamilton The Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada
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Flag of Montreal
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The current flag of Montreal was first displayed in May 1939, and is based on the citys coat of arms. The flags proportions are 1,2 in a symmetric cross, the red heraldic cross represents the Christian motives and principles which governed the founders of the city, according to the citys official web site. The four floral emblems represent the four main European ethnic groups that were settled in the city in the 19th century, clockwise from top left, they are, Montreals original coat of arms was designed in 1833 by its first mayor, Jacques Viger. They were similar to the current version with the difference that the red cross was a saltire, the arms were revised in 1938 to which Montreal’s current flag is based. Four years prior to the first raising of the current flag, King George V, per the article, Montreal prepared to raise its own distinct flag for the first time ever on the King’s Jubilee day based on the original coat of arms by Jacques Viger. On February the 12th 2017, the Mayor of Montreal Denis Coderre announce a modification of the flag of Montreal to include a First Nations symbol to it, the decision was made because 2017 is the 375th anniversary of the founding of the city. The symbol will be chosen by the First Nations communities of Montreal, Arms of Canada, Another use of the England/Scotland/Ireland/France motif in Canadian symbolism Coat of Arms of Montreal Montreal at Flags of the World
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Flag of Ottawa
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The flag of Ottawa is highlighted by a stylized O design. This stylized O is meant to represent both a leaf and the Peace Tower and Centre Block of the parliament buildings. It is meant to be simple, but look festive, the design uses the blue and green colours chosen to represent the new City of Ottawa. The blue is symbolic of rivers and waterways that are part of the Ottawa region, the large green areas speak to the large green space and quality of life in the area, as well as the forests, trees, and parkland within the city. It was adopted January 1,2000 following the creation of the Ottawa megacity, previously the Ottawa flag had been a purple, red and blue tricolour. This flag was adopted by the city in 1901 and when it was replaced it was the oldest municipal flag in Canada, the three colours were intended to represent purple for the monarchy, red for the Liberals, and blue for the Conservatives. The flag was not popular, however, with few liking its appearance and it also violated rules of heraldry by placing colour next to colour. In 1987, in an attempt to spruce it up, the coat of arms was added to the centre. There was little controversy when the board decided the new city should get a new flag. Visual Identity Program Flag of Ottawa
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Flag of Quebec City
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The flag of Quebec City was officially adopted January 12,1987. The flag depicts a yellow ship on a deep blue field surrounded by a crenelated white border representing its unique city walls. The border also signifies the city its founder came from, Brouage in Saintonge. The ship is Samuel de Champlains ship, the Don de Dieu, the outward sails symbolizes the bravery and strength of the population. The ship also signifies the city as being a seaport in North America. The heraldic colours used have the meaning, Yellow represents strength, justice, consistency, wealth, faith. White stands for purity, truth, charity, humility and victory, blue means loyalty, clarity, sovereignty, majesty, good reputation, knowledge and serenity. Blue is also predominant in the coat of arms to emphasize its foundation by the French
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Flag of Toronto
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The flag of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was designed by Renato De Santis, a 21-year-old George Brown College student. It won in a 1974 competition held by the Old City of Toronto Flag Design Committee, after the city amalgamated in 1997, the new Toronto City Council looked for different designs from the public, but could not approve of any. De Santis suggested minor modifications to the flag, which was adopted in October 1999. The flag displays the twin towers of the Toronto City Hall on a background, with the red maple leaf of the flag of Canada at its base. The shape of the space above and between the towers suggests the letter T, the citys initial, a variation of this flag is used by Toronto Fire Services fireboat William Lyon Mackenzie. The marine ensign consists of the city flag in the upper canton with a life preserver on two tone blue background. City of Toronto flag at Toronto. ca official website Toronto, Ontario at Flags of the World
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Flag of Vancouver
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The flag of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, was adopted by City Council on May 17,1983. It was designed by Robert Watt, the then Director of the Vancouver Museum, the design consists of a green chevron surmounted by a gold shield with the city badge. The city badge consists of a crown with crossed axe. The wavy ribbons of white and azure symbolize the Pacific Ocean and they are similar to and bear the same meaning as on the flag of British Columbia. The mural crown states Vancouvers status as an incorporated city, the axe and paddle resemble the supporters found on the coat of arms and stand for the traditional industries, logging and fishing. The green background is a symbol of the forests that used to stand on the citys location, coat of arms of Vancouver Flag of British Columbia Symbols of the city of Vancouver Vancouver, British Columbia at Flags of the World
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