To be fair, we’re very proud of going from “sea to sea”, and it gets a little odd to remind ourselves that we have half the country that’s just sort of frozen in the Arctic when it’s such a big deal that we go from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Besides, what are the people in the territories going to do to stop us? There are like ten of them and they’re all too busy trying not to freeze to notice what the rest of us are doing. /J
@@northchurch753 It is a minimalist flag. Like the flag of Japan it had as little on it as a flag can have and still be a flag. I do not care for the Canadian flag but have to admit that Canadians such as Lester Pearson and Gordon Sinclair knew what it was like in the 1920's and 1930's to visit places across the world and have people be angry at them for being Canadians. It was not because Canada had done something wrong but because the British had offended them and they blamed Canada for being identified with the British. Hence the need for a distinctive Canadian flag. John Diefenbaker wanted a flag with the Union Jack on it. For four years he had the biggest Parliamentary majority in Canadian history. He had four years to bring in any flag he wanted.
@André Lussier My apology. If french Canadian groups, not necessarily all french Canadians and not necessarily from Québec, want to throw a hissy about it use the blue one.
I really dislike the current Canadian flag, the red ensign was much better. If Canadians had no British pride, the Canada would be American by now… Whatever if today's Canadians don't care about Elizabeth 2. The red ensign is a symbol of the Canadian patriotism and determination… meanwhile a red dead leaf means absolutely nothing.
I mean there similar in that they both have a tree in the middle with two banners between it. But honestly the Lebanese flag is closer in style to the Canadian flag than the Cascadian one. Both have red stripes (even if one is vertical and the other horizontal), both have a plant/plant-derivative in the middle, and they have two colours in common. As a Lebanese-Canadian I find that rather amusing.
@@owenthornhill9671 I actually wear a Cascadian flag pin to College every so often, and my politics teacher noticed it and mistook it for the Lesotho flag hahaha
I hate when extremists appropriate a flag from history. I low-key like the red ensign but I don't agree with the views of the people who weild it, but if I bought one I would have to explain this everytime.
It’s like the swastika. In its “natural habitat”, it’s a symbol that’s linked to spirituality and good luck and stuff, but some idiots took that and exploited it, and now it has the exact opposite meaning in a Western context.
My husband (who is Mohawk Iroquois) wanted me to point out that the Mohawk people are a tribe of the Iroquois people, who are represented by the Six Nations flag. You're a lot more likely to see a Mohawk person using a Six Nations Iroquois flag versus a Mohawk Warrior flag, as it is a symbol of unity.
Yeah, I am actually kinda surprised JJ missed that one. Maybe its because in BC where he is its not that common, whereas here in Ontario you see it way more.
The French Manitoban flag is not at all obscure in Manitoba. The francophone community is very strong in Winnipeg (saint Boniface neighborhood, Festival de Voyageur, many francophone division schools) and there are many French communities around Manitoba such a Lorette and others. The French Manitoban flag is quite iconic here
JJ, your channel is amazing. But as a non-canadian, sometimes I have the feeling that you dislike French Canadians just because of French. Great channel.
I know what you mean. But I don't think its racism. I think he takes issue with a lot of how things are run in that province. He addresses that type of thing in multiple videos. He basically criticized racism in this video right here.
This channel is great, you make topics I normally would scroll right past suddenly seem so fascinating I don't give a shit about flags or canada but I could watch you talk about canadian flags all day
@White Anglo Saxon Protestant And I think that the moral degeneration that happens in every single republic to have ever existed since the dawn of time, starting with fucking Rome, leading to collapse, civil war, and the loss of rights 'despite' all the democracy, is a terrible form of governance.
JJ don't spread that stuff on the Red Ensign. It's legitimately important to so many Canadians and shouldn't be conceded to a fringe movement automatically just because some idiots decided to fly it.
I guess it's similar to how the Gadsden flag is seen in the US. Has a interesting and long history(likely longer than the US flag) but was forgotten for a long time and then co-opted by far right/libertarian idiots in the 70s.
The Red Ensign was the flag many Canadians were born under myself included. Furthermore many Canadians went to war under. Equating it as a far right movement is rather insulting. It is a flag of protest a protest of what Canada has become under Liberal governments a shadow of what we once were
I think maybe another good comparison for the colonial flag‘s use nowadays might be the Nordic across variant of the German flag, which was proposed after WWII, but dropped for the tricolor we all know today. It too is now used more to assert Germanic/Nordic supremacy, though probably not with quite as much toxicity as a Nazi flag, or the CSA battle flag.
That Acadian flag is the oldest flag with continued use in the country, meaning, that in flags still used today, it is the oldest of them all that we see floating around today, adopted in Miscouche PEI on 1884. It is a flag with many passions and pride behind it, and also many who resent french presence in the Maritimes are annoyed by it. It is also a very odd flag, because it has a papal symbol on top of a the french revolutionary colors of the modern french flag. It is like placing a catholic symbol on to of an anti-catholic symbol, but visually the flag works well.
Well the Acadian flag is based on the post-revolutionary French flag, a country that didn't exist until well after the French lost control of the Maritimes so I think a lot of people find it just not to be overly sincere.
Libya and Mozambique has some of the worst flags I've seen. Libya for the boring flag that's only one color, and Mozambique for their horrible symbol (a book and gun, really?)
I understand why you find the tree on the Cascadian flag ugly, but I don't see how yours was much nicer. Also, what's so wrong with the dark green and blue?! -Sincerely, a Puget Sound resident
JJ's tree looks much more like a classic pine tree, much less representative of the region (pine trees span pretty much all of the US and Canada but Douglas Firs are really just northwestern).
Hi there! As an Acadian I didn't even know about the pope thing with the star. I check, and it's true BUT what we, the general public, know is that it's the star that guides our sailors to safety. Acadians of old were mostly fishermen after all. Cheers!
The Franco Ontarien flag is common in French speaking eastern Ontario towns. It is flown at City Hall in Ottawa, right next to the flag of Ontario. It now has official status in the province. Now I know why Americans make fun of the way Canadians pronounce "about". You must be the only person in Canada who says it that way. You must have a large American following on your RU-vid channel.
I personally prefer the Canadian Red Ensign over the Maple Leaf, but I fully understand why the latter has been created and wouldn’t fix what ain’t broke. I do, however, strongly condemn the appropriation of the CRE by far-right loonies. The Canadian Royal Legion and constitutional monarchists, by comparison, use it for historical purposes that in no way suggest reactionary opinions. Canada’s status as a multicultural country is swell since it promotes individuality/individualism among people from all walks of life and background, but there’s still plenty of work to be done with regards to addressing the mistreatment of First Nations and some immigration quirks (looking at you, Legault). Swell video as always, JJ.
It seems that typically the "right wing loonies" adopt the Ensign to respect the heritage of the various peoples represented in it. I honestly can't fathom what's wrong with that. If you're a second or third generation immigrant and you love Canada and being Canadian that's great, but you know your ancestors didn't really build this country. You're the recipient of people's sacrifices, and those people deserve to be remembered and respected.
Joey Clavette I agree with that last part and the one about acknowledging the heritages depicted in the CRE. What I meant by right-wing loonies were the far right, not necessarily all people on the right side of the spectrum.
@@Michformer well I'd just like to defend who he's talking about which seems to be the Proud Boys. I don't see how they're right wing loonies. When they brought the Ensign flag to a protest against Canada on Canada day in Halifax, outrage freaks wound up getting some good guys dishonourably discharged from the military, and the statue of Cornwalis removed. I'm Acadian and not a huge fan of Cornwalis, but I can at least acknowledge it's valid to have a statue of the city's founder in the city. The proud boys are not the loonies in this case.
The red ensign was never an official flag of Canada, though it was commonly used as such. One of the most recent changes to it happened in 1957, when the new Diefenbaker government changed the colour of the maple leaf cluster (at the bottom of the shield) from green to red. The red ensign is very appropriate during Remembrance Day, and RCL or ANAF Veterans buildings
when we went to Nova Scotia in 2017 I saw the Acadian Flag & was like hey thats the French flag with a yellow star on it. then saw some plaques with the Name Acadian on it. i was like oh good another Flag ive learned
The red ensign is also the flag that WW2 and Korean war vets fought under. It is often seen at remembrance day ceremonies and other military parades. It's not just for racists. You might want to mention that as well.
Agree. The American confederate flag = Red Ensign is a real stretch IMO despite weasel words. This is not the USA; it is Canada. It is a different country.
The Pink White and Green has a lot of association with Newfoundlands Irish community and more then likely came out of one of the Islands Irish Fraternities. It stuck around in that community through 1933 (when the Island stopped being a dominion) until sometime in the 1950s when annoyance over the out come of the Referendum died down, though it never fully disappeared in Catholic parts of the Island. Unlike what JJ says about it the Remergence happened due to the outrage over the Cod Moratorium in 1992 where it was adopted as a general symbol of Newfoundland Nationalism. The Flags history is tied deeply to the sour and often bloody relationship between Catholics and Protestants in the Islands past.
As someone from Ottawa, I’ve seen the French Ontario flag more than the Ontario flag, it’s on buildings, outside and inside schools and of course at French Ontario protests
I actually really like the Pearson flag, it keeps the 3 leaf design from the original Colony flag and the blue bars compliment the red leaves quite nicely, although I shudder to think what it could have been like drawing that flag as non-artistically inclined child, the one leaf was hard enough for me but three would be a nightmare
Grew up in the USA PNW never seen the Dougflag until 2009. I consider it the left wing Confederate flag and want to burn it every time I see some yuppie with one
Lol you know basically every group in every country makes modifications to their flag to represent their groups, right? Like they don’t want it to be the new flag.
As a fan of flags, I always enjoy your flag videos, JJ! I kind of like the Cascadia flag, in part because I like darker colors on flags. Otherwise, great analysis.
I'm American but I have always loved all the flags of Canada. I actually have the red ensign on my wall and the Queen's flag and all the provincial in my closet because I ran out of wall space.
As an American of Canadian descent(Heh) albeit French Canadian - I find the Canadian flag to be brilliant. It has to be one of my favorite flag out of any nation. Good video as always J.J
J.J., your redesign of the Cascadia flag really misses the point. The tree is supposed to be recognizable as a Douglas fir, which is native to the region. You've made it into a generic, stylized evergreen that could be from anywhere.
Hey JJ, there’s another indigenous flag that is really important to the native candian community which is the Haudenosaunee (pronunciation: hoondnashownee) flag. I am indigenous myself and it would be cool to see the haudenosaunee flag represented here.
I like both the Pearson Pennant and the Red Ensign. They really look good to me. We need some Canadian creativity in designing a new flag for my home state of Kentucky.
See, I'd like to fly 3 flags over my house but think that it would go over poorly, given the red ensigns co-opting, I wanted to fly the current flag, the original flag, and my provincial flag
Would you say the Québec/Bilingualism controversy is helpful for your channel 🤔 btw I really like the newfoundland Flag, what is your favorite Canadian flag?
I remember the first time I saw a Red Ensign in a museum when I was five. First, I was shocked to find out that we had a different flag before the Maple Leaf, and second, I sincerely thought at the time that it was a way better flag and liked it a lot, and still do. It’s truly sad that negative connotations have arisen around it. Also, I think we all know that the Newfoundland flag the the ugliest flag in all of Canada, l’m surprised that wasn’t said, (no offence Newfoundlanders)lol.
What's more offensive: the people waving the Ensign today or the fact we threw away the flag that saw us through both world wars and most formative years as a nation, not to mention the tens of thousands who died under it.
alksdjf;alsdjf That is too true. Here is a poem written by the first Mayor (Reeve) of my town during the Flag Debate which I think captures you point and is quite poignant today as to the way some people are treating our heritage : “Tear that Crimson Ensign down, Long has it waved on high, Across a thousand bloody fields, Where Canadian soldiers lie. Tear that crimson ensign down, It’s heritage and birth, Is of the blood of every man, Of honesty and worth. The politicians beat their drums, And clamour to the sky, “Tear that crimson Ensign down, The past is but a lie.” While through the halls of parliament, in grim and ghostly tread, with banners flying half-mast down, March legions of the dead. If Honour is a threadbare cloak, To hide or wave on high, Then tear that Crimson Ensign down, And let the Nation die.” - Ray Weaver. Pearson, Trudeau I & Trudeau II, And all the rest of them will have to give an answer One Day.
Your Cascadia flag is pretty great. Though, I've always preferred the bars being vertical. I do agree the Fur Douglas is a bit ugly, thooouugh, yours looks too generic. Though though, we could just say it's an Evergreen, a much more beautiful, symbolic and poetic, and iconic PNW tree, so it'd work just fine anyways. Also yeah, it's not a movement... FOR NOW ;P
Cascadia rise up! There is still a small element of separatist ideology that is part of the Cascadian concept, but it ebbs and flows depending on the political climate. For sure during 2016 through 2020 it was much more pervasive than in previous years. Pretty accurate though about the flag more showing love for the PNW, I have it all over my dirtbikes and offroading truck, as western Washington is one of the most beautiful places to ride, hike, and camp.
I couldn't agree less with the retro-conservative tenor of the comments here about Canada's national flag. I say it's a strikingly beautiful masterpiece. Exceptionally distinctive and recognizable - a marketing coup for the country. I like the old Canadian red ensign, too, and am sort of nostalgic about it because of my "old stock waspy" ethnicity, but get real: Canada hasn't been vastly more than "that country" for generations. And there are literally dozens of "nice-but-who-knows-what" British ensign flags around the world. I just finished living in Berlin for the better part of 20 years, where I often walked by the newish Canadian embassy on Leipziger Platz / Potzdamer Platz. Its high-flying, gorgeous Maple Leaf flag is the visual highlight of the whole area. It is instantly recognizable to every passer-by: Kanada! I dare say it's one of the very few things that people around the world can universally identify about our country. Imagine the world's dismay and confusion if we dumped it and reverted to just another forgettable ensign from 50 years ago. Just about everyone, including the Brits, would think we had lost our minds. By the way, our friend, J.J. A-Boot, prefers to display a fake version of the Canadian flag in his videos, featuring an incorrectly shaped, cartoonish maple leaf. I suppose his intention is to diss the Canadian flag and those who respect it. Whatever, J.J.!
Her Majesty the Queen is by no means your 'colonial master', she is the Queen of independent Canada. The Governor-General of Canada represents not the British Crown, but the Canadian Crown. The Monarchy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a separate entity to the Monarchy of Canada. Just like the Monarchy of New Zealand is distinct from the Crown of Australia. Hence, Queen Elizabeth's official title in Canada is 'Elizabeth the second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith'. This differs from Her Majesty's official titles in her other realms.
Im surprised you didn’t mention the native version of the current Canadian flag. I really like that one. Super into the Cascadia flag tho but that could just be my northern van isle logging roots shining through
Oh… I got a Red Ensign hung up with all my Canadian WW1 and WW2 collection/ library. I hate how it’s being smudged. (Yeah the Colonial era was shit. No way to deny that, and anyone who tries to should be in the same boat as any revisionist) but A quote from a soldier who fought at Vimy Ridge had said “We went up that Ridge Nova Scotians and Albertans. We Came down as Canadians.” And that Tiny bit of pure Nationalism for what our country was to become is why that flag is important to me. The first time a Canadian Flag was flown in a major world event we had a big hand in. That Canada could have a place on the world stage.
Wow the way the right wing used the red ensign is also similar to Australia who use the Eureka stockade flag as a symbol used for anti migration movements. ironically it was a flagged used by gold miners protesting the Victorian colony for taxing people to search for gold in the 1850’s. When you showed your design of the Cascadia flag, I was like oh god here comes the Skillshare ad. 😂
I think I disagree with your point about why modified Canadian flags are offensive. You said that they’re trying to be more inclusive but they actually go against the flag’s purpose of representing all Canadians. But isn’t the whole point of these flags to be less representative? Like the gay pride one is for gay Canadians rather than all Canadians. It’s still fine to find that problematic of course, I think you have an argument there for sure, but I don’t think they ever claimed to be more inclusive, so that one point is a bit of a strawman. Except maybe with the French Canadian one, where it sounds like maybe some people are actually arguing it should be adopted? Edit: Great video otherwise btw, love your channel!
The open hate of french Canadians really comes through in this one. The Acadian flag has a lot of history to it, and in fact is probably the most common of all the flags you mentioned. Certainly in New Brunswick you see it all over the place. Yet it barely gets a sentence.
OK, this chat about Canadian flags was interesting, but I couldn't help staring at your Sesame Street shirt throughout the video. I grew up in the USA at a time when watching Sesame Street was practically a rite of passage for kids in their preschool and kindergarten years. What REALLY got my attention, though, was the dead elephant head (?) above Elmo and next to Bert. What is THAT all about?
maybe just me but i’m a southern boy through and through but I hate the confederate flag because they say it’s heritage but it was a battle flag from a “country” that succeeded from the union got there ass kicked so maybe just me it should be banned
It should be banned because it's a symbol of treason. Also racist. But we already knew that. We should just fix all the bad state flags so that if anyone wants to show "southern pride" they can just use their state flag like a decent person.
greatergameplayer even if the south was able to get a new flag, what would entail something like the stars and bars maybe but again ties to the confederacy
It would have to be original but Im sure theres a way to design it to represent the modern South if people wanted to keep southern pride around while disavowing the confederacy.
Of course you have a right to your opinion, but so do others. The "Stars and Bars" carries a lot of racist baggage, but so do many flags, including the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack. Any flag that has any real history also has baggage. You could try to design a new flag for the South, but no one will care about it because it won't mean anything.
Hey JJ, I saw your column you wrote for the WSJ about Canada's Conservative. Good article, I think it was well thought out and put together, but why didn't you even mention the People's Party of Canada when discussing the conservatives? They're very relevant to that discussion
Nothing wrong with that to be tbh. The British are pretty great. We had British citizenship until after WW2, Canadian citizenship was created in 1946. There are Canadians still alive that used to be British, while being born and raised in Canada.
A nation that forgets its past can have no future. The US became independent by a bloody revolution; you gradually gained yours by being granted more & more autonomy. Therefore, using motifs from the Mither Countrys' flags is appropriate.
The Red Ensign is racist now? Nonsense. Unlike the Confederate flag, the Ensign was actually recognized as a national symbol, and for way longer than the Maple Leaf has been. It's also flown at most Legions and military affairs since it happened to be the flag through both world wars.
