I started reading it and I thought, 'Well, this is unbelievable,'" said Wright. "It is clearly inadvisable in a purely Canadian flag to include such obvious national symbols as the Union Jack or the Fleur de Lys." 'Astounded to see it'įor Glenn Wright, that four-page letter, written almost two months before Pearson announced his intention to find a new flag, was an incredible find. "If the flag is to be a unifying symbol, it must avoid the use of national or racial symbols that are of a divisive nature," he writes. He also suggests the maple leaf is a symbol that avoids divisiveness. "It emphasizes the distinctive Canadian symbol and suggests the idea of loyalty to a single country." "The single leaf has the virtue of simplicity," Stanley writes. In the letter, Stanley actually gives two options for the flag, one with a single leaf, and one with a triple leaf, but says he prefers the former. "And then he gives a very detailed explanation of why it should be a single red maple leaf." If the flag is to be a unifying symbol, it must avoid the use of national or racial symbols that are of a divisive nature. "Lo and behold, here was this letter which was absolutely delightful, because George had actually used a red pen to scope out what he thought the flag should look like," Wright said, his voice still rising in excitement almost 20 years after the discovery. The letter Wright is talking about was found in a box of material belonging to heraldry expert Alan Beddoe, who was a key adviser to Matheson and the flag committee.īut the letter is actually addressed to John Matheson. "And then, of course, we come across this letter that George Stanley wrote in the spring of 1964." The letter pre-dates the official announcement of a search for a new flag by almost two months. Part of Stanley's March 23, 1964, letter to MP John Matheson, showing his concept for the Canadian flag.
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