February 15 is National Flag of Canada Day

This Canada Day, our country will be celebrating a milestone birthday: the big One Five Zero. 

Officially known as the sesquicentennial, 2017 marks 150 years since Canada's Confederation.  You can learn more about this upcoming celebration here.

While Canada may be well over 100 years old, did you know that our national flag is much younger? In fact, for the first 98 years of Canada's existence, our national symbol was not the beloved Maple Leaf. It was actually the British Union Jack! 

This changed in the 1960s when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson called for the creation of a new Canadian flag and invited the public to submit their design ideas. Of the thousands of proposals, Dr. George Stanley's suggestion of a red maple leaf on a white and red background was accepted by Parliament.

On Feburary 15, 1965, the new official flag was hoisted for the first time on Parliament Hill. Every year since 1996, when February 15th was declared National Flag of Canada Day, we celebrate our beautiful flag. You can learn more about our flag here. 

This year marks the 52nd anniversary of our national flag. Canadians are invited to celebrate this important symbol of our identity. 

Take part in the “Share your Moment with the Flag Challenge” by posting a picture or video of you with the flag and inspire others to do the same! #canadianflag

Participate in the Canada Day Challenge

Are you creative? Get inspired and celebrate your future! 

Each year, the Canada Day Challenge invites young Canadians from 8 to 18 years old to submit their best, most dynamic drawings, photos or pieces of creative writing that celebrate Canada's culture and identity, illustrate their vision of the future, and reflects their exploration and participation in their community. 

By entering the Canada Day Challenge,  you could win a trip for two to Ottawa and be a VIP Guest on Parliament Hill on Canada Day to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation!

The Challenge is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2017. Entries are being accepted until March 31, 2017.

Get all the details at www.canada.ca/canada-day-challenge

Celebrate Canada 150 by Learning about Canada's History

How much do you really know about Canada and its history? 

If you're don't remember much from your high school Canadian History class,  don't worry! Now there is a fun, interactive way to get your daily dose of Canadiana with #OnThisDay. 

As the name suggests, every day the webpage will feature a different event from Canada's past. You can learn more about our country, one day at a time!

Here is look at today's #OnThisDay:

January 18, 1904

At the First Annual Banquet of the Canadian Club of Ottawa, the Prime Minister of Canada, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, delivers a famous speech on the future of Canada.

“Canada has been modest in its history, although its history … in my estimation, is only commencing. It is commencing in this century. The nineteenth century was the century of the United States. I think we can claim that it is Canada that shall fill the twentieth century.”

#OnThisDay was launched by Library and Archives Canada in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. To learn more about this project, please click here.

Celebrate in 2017

The Government of Canada recognizes that Canadians are eager to celebrate Canada 150 in meaningful ways. We’re proud to join you in this important celebration.

Canada 150 programming provides a framework designed to maximize opportunities for Canadians to engage by participating in celebration events and initiatives and by contributing grass-roots ideas and energy within their own communities. In a country as vast and diverse as Canada, everyone has something unique and important to contribute.

The Canada 150 theme is Strong. Proud. Free. — three words that define and characterize present-day Canada.

• A Canada that is a strong model and leader in the world with one of the most robust economies.
• A Canada that is proud of its identity, diversity, innovation, and achievements as well as its natural beauty and resources.
• A Canada that is free with an open, diverse and pluralistic society. This theme enables us to connect with our past, embrace the present, and build toward the future.

Programming will support and promote activities that align with the Canada 150 vision, which includes three elements: 

• Giving Back to Canada: Canadians will be challenged to dream about what the future holds for the next 150 years, and to give back to our country, providing meaningful change and lasting legacies for future generations.

• Honouring the Exceptional: Exceptional Canadian people, places, achievements and events will be showcased to help shape Canada’s leaders of tomorrow.

• Celebrating and Bringing Canadians Together: Canadians and their communities will have opportunities to celebrate together and build a deeper understanding of Canada, its people and what it means to be Canadian.

What the Government of Canada is doing

The Government of Canada is inviting Canadians to play a central role in shaping celebrations for the country’s 150^thanniversary of Confederation.

The Canada 150 Fund

The Canada 150 Fund is a three-year funding initiative that aims to promote Canadian values, culture and history, generate national pride and bring citizens together to celebrate the country’s 150^th anniversary of Confederation. This Fund complements existing programs in the Department that may also offer funding opportunities for projects related to the Canada 150^th.

The Canada 150 Logo

The Government of Canada held a contest to engage young Canadians in the celebration of Canada 150. The Canada 150 Logo Design Contest was a competition open to Canadian post secondary students who were invited to create the official logo for the 150^th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017.

Road to 2017

Since 2012, the Government of Canada has been highlighting nation-building anniversaries that have contributed to building momentum on the Road to 2017 and Canada’s 150^th anniversary. These events include the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, the anniversaries of the First and Second World Wars, the Fathers of Confederation and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Sir John A. MacDonald and the 50th Anniversary of the National flag.

Learn more about the Road to 2017 milestones.

Canada 150 Logo Contest: History in the Making

The Government of Canada is getting Canadians involved in developing a logo for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017. If you have a creative spirit and would like to make history, this logo design contest is for you!


The contest is open to Canadian citizens residing in Canada or permanent residents living in Canada, 18 years and older, registered at a Canadian post-secondary institution in December 2014 and/or January 2015.


Show your creativity! Submit your Canada 150 logo design and you could win $5,000, a display in one of Canada’s national institutions, and a chance to be part of Canadian history.


You can submit your design online at Canada.ca/150.  Click on sections below for more details on the contest and how to enter.

The contest will end at 11:59 p.m. EST on January 23, 2015.

Contest Rules, Evaluation and Prize
Jury Members