Description

In a Land of Many, A Symbol for All

Canada?s iconic red-and-white flag first made its way up the flagpole on Parliament Hill at noon on February 15,1965: a moment that was decades in the making.

Canada started exploring the idea of replacing Great Britain?s Royal Union Jack with its own flag in the late 1800s. Though the issue was taken up by formal committees over the decades that followed, the project always seemed to stall. In 1964, with Canada?s centennial just around the corner, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson set up the committee that ultimately chose the now-famous red maple leaf on a white square. Queen Elizabeth II lent the design her formal proclamation on January 28, 1965, and it was inaugurated on February 15, 1965.

Canada?s flag has come to represent unity within diversity?a trait Canadians take great pride in. Canada became the first officially multicultural country in the world in 1971, recognizing diversity as the foundation of its national identity. This aspect of Canadian identity is protected by law not only in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) but also in the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988).

Today, more than 20 percent of Canadians are first-generation immigrants, representing the highest immigrant population among the G7 nations. From the shores of the Atlantic to the vast mountains of the Pacific Coast, diversity is a key thread running throughout the fabric of Canadian society.

KEY SPECIAL FEATURES:

A Royal Canadian Mint First: Both the reverse and obverse fields bear wave-like surface undulations.

An exceptional feat of sculpting brings the intricate design to life, down to the last ripple.

A celebration of Canada?s diverse people and landscape?woven together in the symbol that unites us all, the flag.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

First-of-their-kind undulating obverse and reverse fields, along with selective application of colour, breathe life and movement into a design that celebrates Canada.

Makes an excellent gift or a fitting addition to any collection featuring Canadian themes, Royal Canadian Mint firsts, or innovative minting technology.

DID YOU KNOW?

• This beautifully designed coin features scenes from Canada?s most beloved sites, including Peggy?s Cove, Nova Scotia; the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa; and Kicking Horse Canyon in eastern British Columbia
• Peggy?s Cove is said to be named for St. Margaret?s Bay, in which it is located?but there are other legends about the name. One involves a young girl named Margaret, the sole survivor of a shipwreck, who managed to swim to shore and was taken in by local residents.
• Peggy?s Cove is also famous for the Peggy?s Point Lighthouse?a world-famous heritage structure from 1868 that today is Canada?s only lighthouse to house a Post Office. It?s one of Canada?s most-visited tourist attractions.
• Parliament?s neo-gothic Peace Tower was inaugurated in 1927 when the Centre Block of Parliament was reconstructed following the infamous fire of 1916. It is 91 metres high and holds a carillon of 53 bells. Many of the Peace Tower?s features were designed to honour Canadians who served in the First World War.
• Kicking Horse Canyon, located in British Columbia?s Rocky Mountain Trench about 250 kilometres west of Calgary, is named after a real kicking horse. When the horse kicked James Hector?an explorer surveying the B.C. interior?the unfortunate gentleman was launched into the river below. He survived and memorialized the moment by naming the river and the canyon ?Kicking Horse?.

DESIGN

The reverse image by Canadian artist Rebecca Yanovskaya is struck on an innovative undulated coin.? The undulations give a unique sense of movement to the flag waving in the wind.? On the left side of the field is the Peggy?s Point Lighthouse, situated at Peggy?s Cove, Nova Scotia. On the right side of the field is the pinnacle of the Peace Tower that rises above Centre Block on Parliament Hill. Between the two is a detailed image of Kicking Horse Canyon in the picturesque British Columbia interior. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

SPECIFICATIONS