How well do you really know the National Flag of Canada — For ages 13 and up

Let’s test your knowledge and find out!

1. True or False: The number of points on the maple leaf depicted on the Canadian flag represents the number of provinces and territories in Canada.

   1. True
   2. False

   (View answer to question 1)

   Answer to Question 1

   B. False

   The design of the stylized maple leaf on Canada's National Flag is meant to help keep the symbol visible and distinct when seen from far away and in windy conditions. Its 11 points are solely a feature of graphic design, and do not reflect Canada's provinces and territories.

2. How wide is each of the 2 vertical bands of red on either end of the flag, relative to total width of the flag?

   1. One forth the width of the flag
   2. One third the width of the flag
   3. One half the width of the flag
   4. The same width as the flag

   (View answer to question 2)

   Answer to question 2

   A. One forth the width of the flag

   Each red band is One forth of the width of the flag, and if they were merged together, they would be equivalent to half the width of the flag. The other half of the width is composed of the white square in the flag’s centre.

3. The Canadian Red Ensign was used as an official flag prior to 1965. Which of these elements will you find on that flag?

   1. British Red Ensign
   2. The Royal Union Flag in the canton
   3. Shield of the Coat of Arms of Canada
   4. All these answers

   (View answer to question 3)

   Answer to question 3

   D. All these answers

   The Canadian Red Ensign features a red background, the Union Jack and the shield of Canada's Coat of Arms in the fly. The Canadian Red Ensign was a popular patriotic symbol of Canada. However, it was never the National Flag of Canada. Before our current national flag was adopted in 1965, the official National Flag of Canada was the British Union Jack.

4. Who proposed the design that would eventually become the current Canadian flag?

   1. Dr. George Stanley
   2. Queen Elizabeth II
   3. A special committee appointed by the Canadian Parliament
   4. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson

   (View answer to question 4)

   Answer to question 4

   A. Dr. George Stanley

   As Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, during the flag design process of 1964, Dr. Stanley was inspired to propose a design based on the college’s flag. His design was selected to become the National Flag of Canada.

5. True or False: Canada was the first country of the Commonwealth to create flags for members of the Royal Family.

   1. True
   2. False

   (View answer to question 5)

   Answer to question 5

   A. True

   In addition to the Sovereign, certain working members of the immediate Royal family have their own Personal Canadian Flags for use when in Canada. A sixth variant is used by any other member of the Canadian Royal Family who has not been presented with a Personal Canadian Flag. They are used to denote the presence of the bearer.

6. True or False: There is an official pledge or oath of allegiance to the Canadian flag.

   1. True
   2. False

   (View answer to question 6)

   Answer to question 6

   B. False

   There is no official pledge or oath of allegiance to the Canadian flag. However, no laws or statutes prevent private organizations or individuals from adopting such a pledge or oath for their own purposes.

7. True or False: When the National Flag of Canada is displayed with the flags of the 10 provinces and 3 territories, the flags of the provinces and territories follow in alphabetical order.

   1. True
   2. False

   (View answer to question 7)

   Answer to question 7

   B. False

   The flags of the provinces and territories are displayed by precedence according to the order in which they entered Confederation, starting with the provinces, and followed by the territories. If more than 1 province joined in a given year, their flags are ordered by their population at the time of their joining. This gives the following order: Ontario (1867), Quebec (1867), Nova Scotia (1867), New Brunswick (1867), Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873), Saskatchewan (1905), Alberta (1905), Newfoundland and Labrador (1949), Northwest Territories (1870), Yukon (1898) and Nunavut (1999).

8. True or False: The Canadian flag should be folded into a triangle.

   1. True
   2. False

   (View answer to question 8)

   Answer to question 8

   B. False

   The Canadian flag should never be folded into a triangle. This tradition is used by other nations and is frequently represented in popular media. However, Canada has its own flag folding etiquette, and this must be respected every time the National Flag of Canada is folded.

9. True or False: The National Flag of Canada must pass rigorous quality tests to deliver a high-quality flag that meets the federal government specifications.

   1. True
   2. False

   (View answer to question 9)

   Answer to question 9

   A. True

   The Canadian General Standards Board stipulates technical testing requirements for 3 types of flags: outdoor use, indoor use and one-event-only use to ensure the stability of the colour and fabric in all kinds of Canadian weather conditions.

10. True or False: There are strict laws governing the use of the National Flag of Canada.

    1. True
    2. False

    (View answer to question 10)

    Answer to question 10

    A. True

    There are laws that regulate the commercial use of the flag. However, there are no laws that govern how private individuals and organizations display the flag. There are customs and conventions for proper use of the flag and the Government of Canada has certain rules that are followed on government property throughout the country. These act as guidelines and good practice for everyone to follow.

11. Bonus question – True or False: The study of flags is known as “vexillology.”

    1. True
    2. False

    (View answer to question 11)

    Answer to question 11

    A. True

    Vexillology is the study of flags. Vexillologists, or flag experts, often consider the National Flag of Canada to be a particularly well-designed flag.