Newfoundland Pink-White-Green flag

Newfoundland had an old-established if unofficial flag (vertical tricolour of pink, white and green).
Roy Stilling - 30 April 1996

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These are the pink-white-green "Native" flags of 1840 and 1843.

I know that before being part of Canada, an equally vertically divided Pink-White-Green was used in Newfoundland (before 1949).

I believe the flag wasn't official.
Luc Baronian - 31 January 1997

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From Simon Fraser's tome on Canadian flags (http://www.fraser.cc/FlagsCan/toc.html):

The first flag to specifically represent Newfoundland seems to have borne a green fir tree upon a pink field. In use early in the nineteenth century, it is likely that this flag was based on a similar flag, but with a white field, that had been flown by the colonists in New England.

Although the pink flag with its tree apparently initially represented all islanders, when a modified version of it was adopted by the Native's Society in the late 1830s, it began to be perceived as the symbol of the English Protestant portion of the community. Irish Catholic immigrants responded by flying a green flag bearing the Celtic harp. In the 1840s, the division between these two groups was exacerbated each spring as up to 10,000 sealers would converge on St. John's before boarding ships for the sealing grounds. During these times, competition was frequently accompanied by religious animosity and a prominent display of opposing flags.

The Pink, White and Green

In an attempt to defuse the conflicts, a delegation representing the government and leaders of both communities sought the council of Bishop Fleming, who was respected by all. Tradition has it that after pondering the problem, the bishop asked that the pink flag and the green flag of the two factions be brought to him. Then joining them with a white handkerchief, which he said represented the white of peace from the flag of St. Andrew, he handed it to the assembled group and said, "Go in Peace."

Phil Nelson - 12 January 1999

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This doesn't explain why the green fir tree was on a pink field to represent Newfoundland. I can understand the fir tree (or pine tree) in imitation of New England flags, but feel that the pink field needs some sort of explanation; or if not an explanation, an origi