Flag of Quebec

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The flag of Quebec (Script error: No such module "Lang".), called the Script error: No such module "Lang". in French, represents the Canadian province of Quebec. It consists of a white cross on a blue background, with four white fleurs-de-lis.[1]

It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada and was originally shown on January 21, 1948, at the Parliament Building in Quebec City, during the administration of Maurice Duplessis. Legislation governing its usage was enacted on March 9, 1950. Quebec's Flag Day (January 21) commemorates its adoption each year, although for some time it was celebrated in May.[2]

Status

Article 2 of the Act respecting the flag and emblems of Québec confers the status of national emblem (Template:Langx) on the flag of Quebec.[3][4]

Symbolism

File:Drapeau quebec.jpg
Official flag with 2:3 proportions

The Script error: No such module "Lang". takes its white cross over a blue field from certain French flags of the Kingdom of France, namely the French naval flag as well as the French merchant flag. Its white fleurs-de-lis (symbolizing purity) and blue field (symbolizing heaven) come from a banner honouring the Virgin Mary;[5] such banners were carried by Canadian colonial militia in the 18th century.[5] The fleurs-de-lis, as a symbol has often been associated with France, specifically the Kingdom of France. The flag is blazoned Azure, a cross between four fleurs-de-lis argent.[6] Its horizontal symmetry allows both sides of the flag to show the same image.

Bourbon flag

The royal banner of France or "Bourbon flag" was the first and most commonly used flag in New France.[7][8][9][10] The banner has three gold fleurs-de-lis on a dark blue field (arranged two and one), and it was also present on the French naval flag.

Protocol

File:Flag-of-Quebec.jpg
A 1:2 Script error: No such module "Lang". on display
File:Flag of Quebec (1-2).svg
Template:FIAVUnofficial (but commonly seen) 1:2 variant

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.

The Act respecting the flag and emblems of Québec states that "in all cases, the flag of Quebec has precedence over any other flag or emblem."[4] However, under federal protocol, the Canadian flag takes precedence when both are flown.[11]

The official shade of blue is Pantone 293. In 8-bit RGB, it is #003399.[12] Unofficial variants using a lighter blue are common.[13]

Vertical display

File:Flag of Quebec (vertical).svg
Template:FIAV Vertical display of the flag

The canton (Script error: No such module "Lang".; top left quarter) must always be to the viewer's left.[14]

History

Template:More citations needed

File:Flag of the Patriote movement (Lower Canada).svg
The green, white and red tricolour used by the Script error: No such module "Lang". between 1832 and 1838

The desire of ethnic French Canadians for a distinctive flag was longstanding. Other flags that had been used included the Script error: No such module "Lang". 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 Script error: No such module "Lang". was created by Elphège Filiatrault, a parish priest in Saint-Jude, Quebec.[6] Called the Template:Ill, it resembles the modern flag except that the fleurs-de-lis are located 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 it is preserved in the archives of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Another version, with the Sacred Heart in the centre, also appeared, but it was left behind in the push for a new provincial flag after World War II. The Carillon flags were used informally.

File:Drapeau-Carillon-Sacré-Coeur.jpg
The Script error: No such module "Lang".: flag waved by French Canadian Roman Catholics until the 1950s.

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 or red ensign (a Union Flag in the canton, and the Quebec coat of arms in the fly). However, such ensigns were never used — various sources including the official Quebec government site[15] mention that it was the Union Flag that flew over the Parliament Building until January 21, 1948, not a blue or red 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,[16] who had been told that the Ministry wanted a symbol but were unsure as to what should be used.

Former flags for Quebec and previous proposals for a new one
File:Flag of the United Kingdom (1-2).svg File:Quebec Blue Ensign (1868-1939).svg File:British Flag of Quebec.svg File:CarillonSacreCoeur Drapeau.png File:Drapeau du Québec 1948.svg File:Quebec-flagprojects-(Burroughs Pelletier).PNG
The Union Flag flew at the Parliament Building in Quebec from 1 July 1867 to 20 January 1948. Template:FIAVThe hypothetical and never-used Quebec Blue Ensign (including pre-1939 coat of arms) Template:FIAVThe hypothetical and never-used Quebec Blue Ensign (including post-1939 coat of arms) The Script error: No such module "Lang"., a flag waved by French Canadian Roman Catholics until the 1950s The original Script error: No such module "Lang". used on February 2, 1948 Flag proposals prepared by Burroughs Pelletier

In 1947, an independent member of the Legislative Assembly, René Chaloult, demanded a new provincial flag to displace the unpopular (amongst some segment of the population of Quebec) Union Jack and Canadian Red Ensign. Various ideas were discussed between Chaloult, Lionel Groulx and Maurice Duplessis. One such idea involved incorporating a red maple leaf (later to be adopted for the flag of Canada). Pelletier was also asked to present a few proposals to Duplessis, none of which were adopted. He was however consulted about what became the present 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 Script error: No such module "Lang". (with the fleurs-de-lis repositioned upright to their modern configuration in correspondence with the rules of heraldry) was not available until February 2.[17]

The flag was adopted by order-in-council, and the news was presented to the Legislative Assembly more or less as a Script error: No such module "Lang".. Opposition leader Adélard Godbout expressed his approval, as did Chaloult. A law governing the usage of the flag was later officially adopted by the Quebec Parliament 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 Script error: No such module "Lang". as the best provincial or territorial flag, and the third-best of the flags of all U.S. and Canadian provinces, territories and states, behind the flags of New Mexico and Texas respectively.[18] Likewise, the flag is highly popular in Quebec, and it is often seen displayed at many private residences and commercial buildings.

The flag of Quebec bears a close resemblance to both the French Châlons-en-Champagne city coat of arms and the Spanish Morcín municipality flag, which use similar (though unrelated) designs but with differing colours.

File:Blason Chalons-en-Champagne.svg File:Morcin flag.svg
The coat of arms of Châlons-en-Champagne, France The municipal flag of Morcín, Spain

The flag of Quebec was the basis for the jerseys of the Quebec Nordiques, which included the same shade of blue, the fleurs-de-lis and white stripes.

See also

Notes

Template:Reflist

References

In English

In French

  • "Script error: No such module "Lang".", in the site Script error: No such module "Lang". of the Government of Quebec, updated on January 14, 2008
  • Script error: No such module "Lang".. [Québec, Qué.]: Script error: No such module "Lang"., 2001. N.B.: Imprint and date appear on a sticker at the end of the document.
  • Bouvier, Luc. "Script error: No such module "Lang".", in HeraldicAmerica (first published in Script error: No such module "Lang". in 1994 and Script error: No such module "Lang". in 1996)
  • Tremblay, Joël and Gaudreau, Serge. "21 janvier 1948 – Adoption par l'Assemblée législative du fleurdelisé comme drapeau officiel du Québec", in Bilan du siècle, Script error: No such module "Lang"., May 18, 2005
  • Bureau de normalisation du Québec (2004). Script error: No such module "Lang"., Sainte-Foy, 24 pages
  • Gouvernement du Québec (1998). Script error: No such module "Lang"., Québec: Script error: No such module "Lang"., 23 pages
  • Bizier, Hélène-Andrée, Claude Paulette, Script error: No such module "Lang"., Montréal : Art global, 1997, 152 pages
  • Robitaille, René (August 1983). Script error: No such module "Lang"., Québec: Script error: No such module "Lang"., 34 pages
  • Archambault, Jacques et Eugénie Lévesque, Script error: No such module "Lang"., Québec: Script error: No such module "Lang"., 1974, 78 pages
  • BnQ (1973). Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang".
  • Magnan, Charles-Joseph (1939). Script error: No such module "Lang"., Québec: Script error: No such module "Lang"., 44 pages (edition digitized by the BAnQ)

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Quebec topics Template:CanadaFlags Template:Portal bar

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  5. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Father of Jean Pelletier
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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