Everything about Flag Of Quebec totally explained
Flag ratio: 2:3]]
The
flag of Quebec, called the
Fleurdelisé, was adopted for the province by the government of
Quebec, during the administration of
Maurice Duplessis. It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada, first shown on
January 21,
1948, at the
Parliament Building in
Quebec City. Quebec's
Flag Day–January 21–commemorates its adoption each year, though for some time it was celebrated in May. At least one parade marked the flag's 60th anniversary in January 2008.
The Act concerning the flag and emblems of Quebec states that "in all cases, the flag of Quebec has precedence over any other flag or emblem." Presumably, this would include the
flag of Canada, which, under federal protocol, takes precedence when both are flown. Conflict is often avoided by flying the Quebec flag alone, especially on provincial buildings.
Symbolism
The
Fleurdelisé takes its white cross from the ancient royal flags of
France and its white
fleurs-de-lis and blue field from a banner honouring
the Virgin Mary reputedly carried by
French-Canadian militia at General
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm's
victory at Carillon (now
Ticonderoga, New York). Contrary to popular belief, the
fleurs-de-lis are not taken from the banner of the kings of France, who used golden
fleurs-de-lis. The white
fleurs-de-lis on Quebec's flag are symbols of purity, which originally represented the Virgin Mary.
The flag is
blazoned
Azure, a cross between four fleurs-de-lis argent.
The flag's official ratio is 2:3 (width to length), but the flag is very often seen as a 1:2 variant to match the
flag of Canada in size when flying together.
History
The desire of French Canadians in the province for a distinctive flag is an old one. Other flags that had been used included the
Parti Patriote flag, a horizontal green, white, and red
tricolour, which became the flag of the
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society; as well as the
French tricolour.
The direct predecessor of the modern
Fleurdelisé was created by
Elphège Filiatrault, a parish priest in
Saint-Jude, Quebec. Called the
Carillon, it resembled the modern flag except that the
fleurs-de-lis were at the corners pointing inward. It was based on an earlier flag with no cross and with the figure of
the Virgin Mary in the centre.
The
Carillon flag was first raised on
September 26,
1902, and is preserved in the
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec archives. Another version, with the
Sacred Heart in the centre, also appeared, but was left behind in the push for a new provincial flag after
World War II. The
Carillon flags were used informally.
On
May 26,
1868,
Queen Victoria approved Quebec's first
coat of arms. A flag might have been devised by using the arms to deface a
blue ensign (a
Union Flag in the
canton, and the Quebec coat of arms in the
fly). However, it appears to have never been used — various sources including the official Quebec government site mention that it was the
Union Flag that flew over the
Parliament Building until
January 21,
1948, not the blue ensign. In addition, in 1938, at the opening of a mining school in
Val-d'Or, the flag used to represent the Quebec government was a banner of arms. This was done at the behest of public servant Burroughs Pelletier, who had been told that the Ministry wanted a symbol but were unsure as to what should be used.
In 1947, an independent member of the Legislative Assembly, René Chaloult, demanded a new provincial flag to displace the unpopular
Canadian Red Ensign and replace the unpopular and largely unused Quebec blue ensign in the province. Various ideas were discussed between Chaloult,
Lionel Groulx, and Duplessis. One such idea involved incorporating a red maple leaf (later to be adopted for the
flag of Canada). Burroughs Pelletier was also asked to present a few projects to Duplessis, none of which were adopted. He was however asked to give advice as to what he thought about what became the current design.
On
January 21,
1948, the new flag was adopted and was flown over the Parliament Building that very afternoon. Apparently, it was the
Carillon flag that flew that day, because the modern
Fleurdelisé (with the
fleurs-de-lis repositioned upright to their modern configuration in correspondence with the rules of
heraldry) wasn't available until
February 2.
The flag was adopted by
Royal Proclamation, and the news was presented to the Legislative Assembly more or less as a
fait accompli. Opposition leader
Adélard Godbout expressed his approval, as did René Chaloult. A law governing the usage of the flag was later officially adopted by the legislature on
March 9,
1950. A more recent version of such a law was adopted in 2002.
A 2001 survey by the
North American Vexillological Association ranked the
Fleurdelisé as the best provincial or territorial flag, and the third-best of the flags of all U.S. and Canadian provinces, territories, and states.
The flag of Quebec was the basis for the jerseys of the
Quebec Nordiques, which included the same colour blue, the fleur-de-lis, and white stripes.
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