Written by Mikenna Richardson on behalf of the Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH)
Today, the maple leaf is recognized around the world to be a symbol of Canada. But how long has Canada identified itself with a simple leaf?
On this day in 1965, the first maple leaf flag was raised in Ottawa, marking the change around the country. Before this development, the national flag hadn’t changed since the 1870s, but Canada had long gravitated toward the leaf symbol.
In 1834, the maple leaf was first used to celebrate French-Canadian language and culture when the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society adopted it as its emblem.
Fourteen years later, a literary annual — a yearly-published collection of writing called The Maple Leaf — adorned its cover with a maple leaf and referred to it as “the chosen emblem for Canada.” Clearly, a trend had been started. The use of the maple leaf as a symbol for Canadiana began to appear on all sorts of magazines, necklaces, newspapers, and even Canadian money. In 1850, the penny began to be printed with two maple leaves on the front of the coin.
The simple brooch shown above, made of mother-of-pearl or nacre, has been worked into the shape of a maple leaf. When it was donated to the Orillia Museum of Art & History in 2004, it was identified as possibly dating from the First World War. This seems probable as Canadian service members had gear that was extensively decorated with the symbol. Also, at the time, it was common for wives and girlfriends to wear visual reminders of their partners overseas.
This one could have very well been worn as a token of fealty during a time of hardship. Humans never cease to find ways to show their hearts to others.