Interesting facts about Canada's flag as it turns 50

[TheComedian]

Actually the 11 points are for seeing the leaf more clearly when it is flying at various wind speeds. The flag went under rigorous wind tests back in the day before being finalized.

[Nunavuter]

The highly stylized 11-pointed Maple Leaf references no specific variety of Maple.

There are about 150 species of maple worldwide, and none have leaves that look exactly like that on the Canadian flag. This was intentional. But at least one species of Maple exists in every province.

The Red Maple (Acer rubrum) lives in all six eastern and central provinces. The Big Leaf Maple (Acer Macrophyllum) lives in BC. Guess where the Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo) lives? Besides Manitoba, it also lives in western Ontario and parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In the Yukon, there are isolated patches of Douglas Maple (Acer glabrum douglasii) and even more of them live in BC. I've ignored imported species such as the Norway Maple that have been introduced to the prairies to decorate parks in cities like Regina.

So the next time somebody says "Maples only live in Ontario and Quebec" you can school them in the fact that many species of maple are native to all ten provinces coast-to-coast, and that the leaf on the flag doesn't represent any of them. It represents all of them in a stylized form.

[ym]

I think in punjab u may see the Canadian flag more than Canada 😂 In cars on walls on trucks ....

[jarjaledi]

I am Turkish but I love Canada soooo much!

[luuchoo]

The Canadian flag should have some blue. The most important English-speaking nations have red, white and blue: the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand. Canada is part of that family!

[nochatter]

It’s truly a beautiful flag🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦& unique. I have worn it in South America, Asia, Africa & everyone recognized....they are were like CANADA! and am like YES 😊!

[ivorholtskog]

I grew up in B.C. and we had mapke trees all over the place.

[tornadoswe]

Wow, I the flag is a lot younger than I thought.

[gerry]

awwww that made me blush....CANADA ! F*** YEAH !!!

[FlashTheTornadoTruck]

I ordered a flag, the waiting list is 84 years long o:

[SimonTheGamer]

Jeez, my dad is older than the Canadian flag LOL!

[Sanngot]

The Canadian flag is a Serpent, then. According to the Chinese Zodiac. Just like me. =)

[phantomstudios]

I'm in Manitoba we have maple trees

[phantomstudios]

Oh and the maple leaf fact we have 11 points because Canada originally had 10 provinces and 1 territory and real maple leafs have 23 it's just hard to make out when a 23 pointed maple is on a flag

[angelemotional]

Why is there a leaf??Please no hate comments or bully comments I'm not form Canada

[kellytherien]

Pearson liked the way the 11 point Maple leaf Flag flew in the wind and that was the reason. Missing is the video was the fact that Joan O'Malley sewed the very first Canadian Flag.

[ronwilliams]

They say that the 11 points on the Maple Leaf has no significance.
I thought they represented the 10 Provinces and the North West Territory.  I'm not sure just how the Yukon Territory fit in though...

[waynedrost]

Our flag represents the people of CANADA. It does not represent the party that is in government. I dislike when some people that are manifesting against the government, Fly the flag that represents the people of are wonderfull country upside down or they burn it. Maybe they should leave Canada

[direktorpresident]

Crossing in to the US at the Border before C19, I noticed that a State Flag had a Union Jack in the corner. I asked the Officer about it, and he said "Huh?".
Anyway, it's Hawaii.

[genie]

How is the maple leaf a national symbol as only Ontario and Quebec have maple trees, the rest of Canada, the other 8 provinces and Northern Territory and Yukon don't?