I like the red ensign, but I like shoutouts to tradition. I do like those running legs on the Isle of Man flag though.
Here's my take.
The British Union Flag, or Union Jack, was once a part of many flags in countries that were once part of the British Empire, but is now only incorporated into a few. In 1965, Canada dropped the national Red Ensign flag, which had a Union Jack in the corner, in favour of today’s distinctive red and white Maple Leaf after years of heated debate.
New Zealand is holding a referendum next year on whether to change its flag, which features the Southern Cross constellation with the Union Jack in the top left corner. Some critics view the flag as an unwanted relic from a colonial past and too similar to the flag of neighbouring Australia — which has no plans to drop the Union Jack from its banner. Others, including many combat veterans, remain deeply attached to it. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has said he believes “this is the right time for New Zealanders to consider changing the design to one that better reflects our status as a modern, independent nation.”
The Pacific Island nation of Fiji is also preparing to remove the Union Jack from its flag, after the prime minister said it needs something that represents its future and not its colonial past.
I think throw everything out, official colour and all, but keep the classic stylized trillium logo somewhere part of the new flag and start from there.
The British have far more to do with our culture than the Iroquois. Without the colonization of this province and country by the British and other European groups, the land would still be entirely made up of forests. If you're implying that there should be some sort of native gesture on our provincial flag, that is fine, but make a case for it. Them being here before the British is irrelevant and plays no role in the factors that took this land from merely vast wilderness to the civilized, industrial place that exists today. I'm sorry, but native groups are largely isolated from the rest of the province/country, living on reservations. It wasn't their influence that created this province or nation, therefore, why should that be reflected on our provincial flag? The British have no Roman symbolism on the Union Jack; and the Romans were far more important to Britain's history than any native group was to Canada. Additionally, the native tribes were constantly at war with each other, displacing established groups. Who does the land really belong to?Ontario should define itself on its own terms, not by saying "hey, we're a little bit British", which is kind of sad.
And besides, the history of Ontario started way before the British arrived. You know Ontario is an Iroquois word, right?
Our institutions, language and history are all British.
Our current flag reflects that reality.
British people came here and created a new nation over time. Considering that it has been a successful nation over time, the identity of its ancestors shouldn't always define it.
The British have no Roman symbolism on the Union Jack
Then the Ontario flag should have no British symbolism. I find your whole pro-British argument colonialist and maybe a little bit racist (the history of First Nations is "irrelevant"? the British "civilized" this place? really?). I love Britain and all things British, but Ontario hasn't been a British colony for a long time, and all the better for it.
This country is so young and yet we are still so fast to get rid of the small history we have. I do not agree it needs to go nor do i agree we get our identity from a provincial flag. I dont think because one country does one thing that we need to copy them.