This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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It’s been 50 years since Canada’s first ever red Maple Leaf flag, sewed by Joan O’Malley, was flown. O’Malley was honored at a special commemoration of the event on Parliament Hill on Friday, where she was present along with her family members and Democratic Reform Minister, Pierre Poilievre.
O’Malley alleged that though Canada’s modern flag would be a national symbol for many, it was also a rush order for her. O’Malley recalled that “Prime Minister (Lester B.) Pearson had made an election promise to get us a new national flag. More than 6,000 suggested designs were received, which were narrowed down to three finalists.” She explained that a call was made by the Prime Minister’s Office to then assistant purchasing director with the old Department of Trade and Commerce, Ken Donovan, who was tasked to make three prototypes of Canada’s new flag ready for evaluation the next day. However, Donovan desperately needed someone to sew them together in a hurry and so his 20-year-old daughter, Joan, got the job done.
At the time, Joan was completely unaware that her flags would become the subject of a major national debate. One of the three flags was favoured by Pearson, with a sprig and three red maple leaves with a blue border, while the second was passionately supported by Tory leader and former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. The final flag had a single leaf with two red borders, which eventually won on Dec. 15, 1964 after a 15-day debate in Parliament.
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