Canadian flag turns 50-years-old

Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag being hoisted above Parliament Hill as the nation’s flag.

And the iconic emblem and colours have bigger roots in the Maritimes than some may know.

A New Brunswicker, former  Lieutenant Governor George Stanley, played a big role in the flag’s origins.

“(He) was very instrumental to designing that new flag, propose that new flag, the first one to draft it,” says New Brunswick Lieutenant Governor Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau.

An exhibit at New Brunswick Government House is honouring the flying maple leaf on its 50^th birthday.

The exhibit also recognizing what was in place before, and the arguments that ensued, especially over the use of the Union Jack.

Many wrote Stanley with concerns, one even asking why such a shade of red was chosen.

Stanley responded to them all, and 50-years later, the flag flies as a symbol that unites us. Seven out of every 10 Canadians views the flag as an important part of Canadian identity.

With files from CTV’s Nick Moore