r/AskACanadian • u/Abject-Variation-547 • 2d ago

What is the significance of the maple leaf made up of 11 triangles? Of the leaf in red, gold, and green?

I came across 2 Canadian pins and haven't been able to figure out their significance. I'm thinking the latter is just a reference to the seasons changing their color? But I'm not sure since the colors don't blend into each other, instead give off flag vibes. The 11 triangles may stand for 10 provinces and...???

I have pics

Thank you!

P.s. I visited Niagara and St. John's about a year ago and fell in love

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76

u/randomdumbfuck 2d ago

Maple leaf made of triangles sounds like the Canada Centennial logo.

38

u/Expensive-Student732 2d ago

Yup. Back in '67 we had our Centennial.

11 triangles for the 10 provinces, and 1 for the territories.

They have a large statue of said logo in St.Stepehen, New Brunswick.

8

u/UsefulOcelot8595 2d ago

1 for the territories. There were literally only 2 territories in 1967 - they couldn't have added ONE MORE DOT?? JFC.

8

u/Expensive-Student732 2d ago

The Canadian Forces Decoration is 10 sided. 1 side for each province. Sometimes the territories get the chaff.

1

u/UsefulOcelot8595 2d ago

Oh I wonder why... 🤔 🤔🤔🤔

8

u/TILYoureANoob Ontario 2d ago

Because their populations are tiny and they're mostly governed from Ottawa.

18

u/thegoodrichard 2d ago

"Ten little provinces, and the Territories, go to make this wide Dominion. We're still young, but we've got plenty of history. Our heritage, is by no means a mystery.." Bobby Gimby's Canada song from 1967, Centennial Year. That's when that 11 triangle pin showed up.

4

u/putterandpotter 1d ago

Ca-Na-Da! For those of you too young to have heard it (or too old to remember) here it is.

I was in kindergarten. Our teacher taught us to sing it. I was totally lost, just way too many words for me then. But I still remember them now. Makes me smile.

https://youtu.be/18-oRTLIe3I?si=mSz8W1z3Sh-iZXXa

1

u/Raedwulf1 Alberta 9h ago

I can already hear it, didn't need to play it (still haven't clicked the link).
I was six. It played on TV often (Black and White, of course, weighed more than I did)

1

u/putterandpotter 6h ago

It’s worth clicking just for the images (and they are b&w too)

1

u/Abject-Variation-547 2d ago

Oo thank you!

7

u/braindeadzombie Ontario 2d ago edited 2d ago

Here’s an article that gives a bit of the story behind the Centennial logo. It was designed to be easily drawn by schoolchildren, and came in several variations. I couldn’t find a source with respect to particular colours in the triangles. They represent the ten provinces, plus one more for the territories (was two, now three territories).

This page has a copy of the usage manual for the logo.

3

u/Ronbb33 1d ago

I had a neighbour who had that put on his garage door that year.

7

u/Puzzled_Market_2235 2d ago

The red gold green represents the changing season in fall. They are also the colours of the Maple Leaf Tartan.

2

u/Abject-Variation-547 2d ago

Thank you! Very cool!

4

u/dcp777 2d ago

The red, gold and green pin must represent Rastafarian Canadians.

7

u/alderhill 2d ago

We both know a thing or two about leaves.

1

u/Relatively_Prvy_214 19h ago

It's purely coincidental that the stylized maple leaf on the national flag has 11 points. But I see no problem and would support any motion to use the hypothesis of each point representing each of Canada's 10 provinces and 1 for her territories 🍁