The Canadian Red Ensign
2,000,000 Served, 111,000 Died
We are at the end of an era. The World War Veterans from Canada's Armed Forces, are becoming very few in number.
The Canadian Red Ensign is the flag they volunteered and served under. It symbolized the Canada they were fighting for.
A lot has changed since then.
Soon all we will have left is their memory. The one thing above all that will always represent them and their efforts, is our first national flag. The last flag of all those that died for us.
At Victory Square, the main war memorial in downtown Vancouver, Canada's old battle standards fly proudly from the face of the monument--every day, all year round. The Union Jack and the Canadian Red Ensign on the left, the Royal Canadian Navy White Ensign and the Royal Canadian Air Force Blue Ensign on the right, with the new Maple Leaf flag in the centre.
Although these old service ensigns were disposed of by our government in Ottawa, they will always have a place of honour in our history. They should never be forgotten. Without them, all perspective is lost. They are important symbols of our heritage, representing our wartime sacrifices and the evolution of Canadian culture.
For years many Canadians requested that the Red Ensign be flown at Vimy Ridge with the Union Jack in memory of and out of respect for all those it was created, just as it was on the day it was opened.
All the flags at Victory Square should be proudly flying at the newly created tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa and the war museum. Every day, all year round. Anything less is a misrepresentation of our past.
These requests are not too much to expect. It can not hurt anyone to keep asking and it will only help if we keep them flying. Lest we forget.
Bill Bishop
