NATIONAL POST FLAG INITIATIVE: WEEK TWO

Steve Murray looks at our nation’s proud provincial flags and tries to make them prouder

First, let me just say I got a LOT of email about this initiative and only ONE called me a traitor, which was nice. Many of you also sent in provincial flag redesigns of your own so I’m going to start posting them online, making you all potential traitors to your country. Over the next few weeks I’m going to give it the old college try (community college) and put forth redesigns of our provincial flags. You can then vote online as to whether you think the old one should stay, or the new one should usurp it, destroying our nation’s history with one click of a button. Let’s do this! I think the Union Jack is redundant for a province called BRITISH Columbia, y’know? But I do like the colours and I think the setting sun is a nice touch. But the whole thing is too busy. I tried to simplify it and also give a shout-out to the First Nations with a bit of a totem design, slightly reminiscent of the Union Jack I so callously tossed away. I know wings aren’t a big thing on flags since those damn Nazis ruined eagles, but screw the Nazis. I’m taking birds back. I know this is kind of wacky, but bear with me. First, I wanted to use the provincial colours of blue and gold (same colours as the Post ... hmm ... coincidence?) The horns represent the Calgary Stampede (100 years young) and also other horned animals I suppose. The blue circles represent drops of oil gushing from the earth, but the overall shape of them can also reflect the wheat from the original flag. Or I could just use the old Oilers logo. This one was easy! The green and gold on the original Saskatchewan flag represent the forests of the north and the wheat fields of the south. A solid idea that I kept while incorporating the province’s wheat symbol designed in the ’70s. Why is all the design from the ’70s so good? I mean, seriously, I was born in the ’70s and I look pretty great.