Historical flags of Manitoba

19th Century - The flag of the Hudson Bay Company and the Union Flag of Great Britian fly over Manitoba.

Metis adopt a blue flag with the infinity symbol, the color influenced by the flag of the North West Company..

1869-1870 - Metis nationalism surfaces, with Louis Riel as the political leader. During the Metis period at least nine flags are recorded, most being white with French and Irish symbols.

December 10, 1869 - The Metis provisional government raises a white flag with a yellow fleur-de-lis and green Shamrock at Fort Garry.

August 24, 1870 - The Union flag is raised over Fort Garry and Riel's government ends.

1870 - The seal of Manitoba is adopted, featuring a shield with a crown and buffalo head.

1905 - The shield becomes the arms of Manitoba.

1964 - The Canadian Red Ensign replaces the Union Jack over provincial schools.

1965 - Manitoba's flag adopted. Canada's maple leaf flag adopted.

Summarized from a news article in the Winnipeg Free Press, forwarded to FOTW by David Kendall.

On 15 July 1870 Manitoba became the first new province to join the Canadian confederation, but no badge was approved for ten years. One difficulty was indecision over whether the badge which had been produced for the Dominion in 1868 by quartering the arms of the four founding provinces, should be altered to accommodate the arms of each additional province that joined the confederation.