Col. the Hon. George F.G. Stanley
C.C., C.D., K.St.J., D.Phil., F.R.S.C., F.R.Hist.S., &c.

The Story of Canada's Flag

PREFACE

I was prompted to prepare this small book by the number of queries I have received since the adoption of the Canadian flag on 15 February, 1965. It is not to be expected that the few historical facts and comments appearing on these pages will answer all the questions that may arise. My hope is that the present book will answer some, perhaps most of these questions; and that it will provide teachers and general readers with a broad outline of the history of Canada's flag and the various flags flown in our country during the last three and a half centuries. If the book fulfils this role, then its publication will have been justified.

This preface not only affords me an opportunity of explaining why I undertook to write this book, but also of acknowledging the kindness of the President and Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada in permitting me to use several of the illustrations that accompanied the late Sir Arthur Doughty's paper "Le Drapeau de la Nouvelle France" which appeared in the Society's Transactions in 1926.

My thanks are also due the Provincial Secretaries of the provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and British Columbia, for information about the flags of these provinces. Finally, I must express my thanks to Mr. John Matheson, M.P., of Brockville for introducing me to the fascinating study of heraldry, to Dean M. 0. Morgan of Memorial, and to Miss Kathleen Robb for typing the manuscript.

GEORGE F. G. STANLEY

Cluny House, Kingston,

1 July, 1965.





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