Here are some very Interesting Facts about Canadian Flag.

1. On Feburary 15th 2015, National Flag of Canada turned 50 years old.
2. On February 15, 1965 our national flag was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill. Canada was just two years away from centennial celebrations when the maple leaf flag was made official by Royal Proclamation. In 1996, February 15 was declared National Flag of Canada Day and has been observed every year since.
   The all-party Parliamentary committee with the thousands of different designs submitted for the Canadian Flag.
    (Photo Source: Canada Heritage)
3. Canadian flag is red and white, the official colours of Canada as appointed by King George V in 1921, with a stylized 11-point red leaf in its centre. The dimensions of the flag are 2:1. (twice as long as it is wide). White portion in the middle is perfect square. This flag size is unique to Canada – no other national flag has these dimensions.
4. The official name is the National Flag of Canada.
5. In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson made the creation of a new Canadian flag a priority. After eliminating thousands of proposals, the Special Committee on a Canadian Flag was left with three possible designs: one incorporating three red maple leaves with blue bars (nicknamed the “Pearson Pennant”), a flag with a single stylized red maple leaf on a white square with red bars, and another version that contained both the Union Jack and three fleurs-de-lis. On January 28, 1965, the National Flag of Canada was proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to take effect on February 15, 1965.
6. Dr. George Stanley, a professor at Royal Military College in Kingston in 1964, suggested a red and white single maple leaf design for the flag because it could be seen clearly from a distance.
7. The Canadian flag is also known as the Maple Leaf flag and was inspired by the flag of The Royal Military College of Canada.
8. The French nickname for the Canadian flag is ‘L’Unifolié’, which means the one-leafed.
9. The 11 points on the maple leaf emblem have no significance. Many people believe they stand for Canada’s provinces, plus the federal government, but the emblem is just a recreation of an actual maple leaf.
10. The flag at the Peace Tower flies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is changed on a daily basis, usually early in the morning and by a designated Parliament Hill building employee who receives training on how to perform the task. Flags on the East and West Block are changed weekly. Once a flag is drawn it is sent to ministry of Public Works and Government Services from where it will be sent to people who have requested it.
11. Want one? You’ll have to be patient. There is a 10-year waiting list to receive a flag that has flown on the Peace Tower. The wait is five years for a flag that has flown on the East or West Block. Anyone interested should put the request in writing and send it in: by mail to Public Works and Government Services Canada, Office of the Minister 18A1, Portage Place III, 11 Laurier St., Gatineau, Que., K1A 0S5; by fax to: (819) 953-1908 or by e-mail to minister@pwgsc.gc.ca. Only one flag per household is allowed.
12. Every province and territory in Canada has its own flag. The one symbol that represents us at home and abroad is the red and white National Flag of Canada.
13. The Canadian Red Ensign flies at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in Vimy, France.
14. The maple leaf has been used as an emblem in Canada since the eighteenth century. It has often served to distinguish Canadians abroad, as was the case with Canada’s first Olympians in 1904.
15. In 2005, one of the original maple leaf flags that flew over Parliament on Feb. 15, 1966, was returned to Canada by its owner, Ms. Elisabeth Hoffmann-Lamoureux. The flag was presented to Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson during the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill.
16. The largest Canadian flag ever made, according to Flying Colours International, was unveiled at a football game in Hamilton, between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts in 2009. The flag was 38 metres by 76 metres, and required at least 80 pairs of hands to carry it on to the field. This flag never fly — it’s too big — but it will be brought on to the turf at Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Ticat’s home base, for the start of every home game. A flag that size costs $15,000.
    (Source: HamiltonNews.com)
17. Flag etiquette stipulates that when the National Flag of Canada is raised or lowered, or when it is carried in a parade or review, all present should face the flag, men should remove their hats and all should remain silent. Those in uniform should salute.
18. The National Flag does not fly outside the Quebec legislature, unless there is a special federal ceremony.
19. Flags are flown at the half-mast position as a sign of mourning.