Following Confederation, Canadians began to feel a pride in their new country and wished to express their national identity. One expression was the creation of a distinctive, but unofficial, Canadian flag. By centering the Arms of Canada among a wreath of maple leaves on the fly of the British Red Ensign, the Union Jack of Great Britain was associated with symbols of Canada on one flag. As more provinces joined Canada, the unofficial flag makers added the supposed symbols of the new provinces to the Arms on the fly of the Red Ensign. Over the next half-century, Canadian Red Ensigns with a shield bearing five Arms, then seven Arms, and finally nine Arms were fabricated. This is the unofficial Canadian Red Ensign created after Manitoba joined Confederation in 1870.
