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>> “And of course the maple leaf is featured on the Canadian flag as well as the red color.” <<
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Except that the maple leaf of the Canadian flag is the California Bigleaf maple, which turns yellow, not red.
Oh well!
Actually, ‘Pearson’s rag’, as some Canadians of a certain age refer to it, is a stylized maple leaf design, not a California Bigleaf maple. Liberals, being the ‘simple’ people they be, wanted a flag that even a child (read ‘liberal’) could easily draw.
Liberals found the Canadian Ensign flags that Canadian soldiers and sailors fought and died under during two world wars to be revolting, as they each DARED to contain the Union flag! In a sop to the never satisfied Québécois, they ditched the Canadian Red Ensign in favour of Pearson’s rag. The same bunch of children (Liberals) ditched “The Maple Leaf Forever”, replacing it with “O Kanada” because again, the Québécois took offence to a reference to Wolfe defeating Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham in 1763!
Yes, even a liberal can draw that symbol. The question is, what is it a symbol of? It says nothing about our history, as the Canadian Red Ensign did, just as ‘O Kanada’ tells nothing of our history, as ‘The Maple Leaf Forever’ did.
In days of yore, from Britain’s shore,
Wolfe, the dauntless hero, came
And planted firm Britannia’s flag
On Canada’s fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast, our pride
And, joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine
The Maple Leaf forever!
Chorus:
The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,
The Maple Leaf forever!
God save our Queen and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!
At Queenston Heights and Lundy’s Lane,
Our brave fathers, side by side,
For freedom, homes and loved ones dear,
Firmly stood and nobly died;
And those dear rights which they maintained,
We swear to yield them never!
Our watchword evermore shall be
“The Maple Leaf forever!”
Chorus
Our fair Dominion now extends
From Cape Race to Nootka Sound;
May peace forever be our lot,
And plenteous store abound:
And may those ties of love be ours
Which discord cannot sever,
And flourish green o’er freedom’s home
The Maple Leaf forever!
Chorus
On merry England’s far famed land
May kind heaven sweetly smile,
God bless old Scotland evermore
and Ireland’s Em’rald Isle!
And swell the song both loud and long
Till rocks and forest quiver!
God save our Queen and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!
Chorus