On October 22, 1964, the committee voted unanimously in favour of George Stanley’s flag design. All committee members agreed that the schematic design as well as the use of Canada’s official national colours made it the most favourable choice. Stanley, Dean of Arts at the Royal Military College, had been inspired by the College’s own flag and incorporated the same concept of a simplistic design flanked by two vertical bars.
In December 1964, the design was approved by the House of Commons, then, shortly after, by the Senate. M.P. John Matheson played a great role in the unanimous voting of Stanley’s single maple leaf and is often credited in helping to end the Great Flag Debate in Parliament. In Matheson's words, the new flag “was the handiwork of many loving hands, extended over a long period of Canada’s history.”
October, 1964
December, 1964