History of Canadian naval flags

History of Canadian naval flags

The Canadian Naval Ensign and Jack tell people that a ship is Canadian. Here is the history of our ensign and our jack.

On this page

• Overview of naval flags
• Early Canadian naval flags
• When we adopted our national flag
• Modern Canadian naval flags

Overview of naval flags

Warships use naval ensigns to show their nationality. Most Commonwealth nations wear (fly) a distinctive naval ensign on their warships. These usually include elements of their national flag. This internationally accepted practice is also observed by many non-Commonwealth nations, such as:

• Japan
• China
• Russia

Not all countries have a distinctive naval ensign. Some, such as the United States and France, use their national flag as the naval ensign on their warships.

Our distinctive naval ensign that incorporates the National Flag distinguishes Canadian warships from:

• other Canadian flagged vessels
• foreign navies

Canadian warships have special status under international maritime law. Warships on the high seas have complete immunity from the jurisdiction of all states other than their flag state. Our ensign tells everybody of that special status, because our warships are:

• units of the Canadian Armed Forces
• crewed by military personnel
• deployed throughout the world to further Canadian national policy

The Canadian Naval Ensign also promotes and strengthens our Canadian naval identity. It underscores that the crews who serve on our naval vessels have unique:

• roles
• powers
• liabilities
• responsibilities

There are three distinct symbols to show Canadian nationality on Canadian warships and other naval vessels.

The first is the Canadian Naval Ensign. Vessels wear the ensign at the masthead while at sea. They wear it at the stern when alongside, moored or at anchor.

The second is the National Flag, also known as the Maple Leaf Flag. Ships wear this as the Naval Jack. Vessels place the Naval Jack at the bow when the ship is alongside, moored or at anchor.

The third is not required by law or maritime custom. Canadian warships have historically displayed a Maple Leaf badge on or near the main ship’s funnel.

Early Canadian naval flags

In 1870, the Canadian Marine Service began wearing a Blue Ensign to show the special government status of its vessels.

When the Naval Service of Canada began on May 4, 1910, this practice continued.

At the Imperial Conference of 1911, we signed a naval agreement that Canadian warships would wear:

• the Royal Navy White (naval) Ensign at the stern
• the flag of the Dominion (the Canadian Blue Ensign) at the jack-staff located at the bow

Canadian merchant vessels would continue to wear the familiar Red Ensign, showing their non-governmental status. Later that year, on August 16, King George V authorized that Canadian naval forces be designated as the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). On December 16, 1911, Canadian Order-in-Council PC 2843 ordered:

All ships and vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy shall fly at the stern the White Ensign as the symbol of the authority of the Crown, and at the Jack Staff the distinctive flag of the Dominion of Canada, such distinctive flag being the Blue Ensign with the arms of the Dominion inset in the fly. The White Pendant will be flown at the Masthead.

Read the original in PDF format. It was published in the Canadian Gazette on December 30, 1911.

Authorization of the White Ensign and Blue Jack in 1911 stated: “The White Pendant will be flown at the Masthead.” The modern spelling is pennant, and it is the mark of a commissioned ship. It also symbolizes the captain’s authority to command the ship. This pennant is also known as:

• the captain’s pennant
• the mast-head pennant
• the commissioning pennant

The pennant is the distinguishing flag of the captain. It does not fly when the Sovereign or a more senior officer in the chain of command is aboard. Their distinguishing flag displaces the captain’s pennant at the masthead. This completes the ship’s “suit of colours”

• the Ensign at the stern
• the Jack at the bow
• a distinguishing flag at the masthead

The White Ensign remained unchanged until it was dropped in 1965.

The Blue Jack changed three times:

• It had the four-province badge on the fly until 1922.
• It had the shield of the Canadian arms after 1922.
• The maple leaves on the shield changed from green to red shortly after 1957.

When we adopted our national flag

Canada adopted a new National Flag on February 15, 1965. At that time, the RCN replaced the White Ensign and the Canadian Blue Jack with the Maple Leaf Flag. A common Commonwealth practice is to use the National Flag as a jack. So, we also adopted the Maple Leaf Flag as both the Ensign and the Jack.

In the following years, we set out to develop military ensigns and flags. In 1968, we created a distinctive naval jack that incorporated the Maple Leaf Flag. Commissioned warships wore it when alongside or at anchor.

That same year, the Canadian Armed Forces were re-organized into one service. The RCN ceased to exist as a separate service. All naval forces were assigned to the Canadian Armed Forces Maritime Command.

Modern Canadian naval flags

In 1985, an Order-in-Council authorized the Canadian Armed Forces Naval Jack to be worn ashore as the Maritime Command flag. It was still on board commissioned warships. The National Flag remained as the Ensign and all Canadian naval vessels wore it.

In the early 1990s, we phased out the British Royal Navy-style Commissioning Pennant. We replaced it with a new Canadian-designed Commissioning Pennant. The new pennant featured a maple leaf instead of the Cross of St. George. Only commissioned warships fly this pennant.

In 2011, the historic name of the RCN was restored. Maritime Command became known as the “Royal Canadian Navy.”

In 2013, the Government of Canada restored a standard Commonwealth naval practice. RCN vessels now wear:

• a distinctive Canadian Naval Ensign
• the National Flag as the Naval Jack

The flag previously known as the Canadian Naval Jack became the Canadian Naval Ensign. The National Flag became the Canadian Naval Jack.