 Chapter 10 Before bringing this account of Canada's flag to its conclusion it is meet to revert to some technical and heraldic comment. As we have seen, much emphasis was devoted from the start to producing an aesthetic flag of heraldic integrity. It has been said that "the early heraldpaynters sought to achieve designs which would be easy to identify at a distance. They used simple brilliant colours."1 Contemporary objectives have not changed. Sir Thomas Innes of Learney has stated that "bright colours usually look best in heraldry." 2 C. W. ScottGiles has affirmed "the colours of heraldry are usually rich."3 Dr. Thomas Baty, in a memorable conclusion and summary declared that "the only criterion of sound Heraldry is Formal Beauty and Honour. It must, indeed, conform to tradition, but it must not be fettered by it in defiance of the spirit of its own age."4 These were the compelling considerations in the selection of colors, design, and even proportions of Canada's flag. It was felt that the future would be best served by sticking faithfully to first principles. The flag committee, responding to my own tentative suggestion, proposed to set or fix the colors as constituting the Red (Scarlet) of British Admiralty Color Code No. T1144 for nylon worsted bunting, and No. T818A for other bunting, these being the red patterns used in the Red Ensign and in the Union Jack. The white was set by British Admiralty Color Code No. T1145 for nylon worsted bunting and No. 819 for other bunting.5 Happily both these directives were subject to very important later refinement and improvement by Canadian officials. It was natural for the flag committee to assume that British Admiralty was eminently qualified to say what red was red and what white was white. How could Canada's expertise in flag color begin to compare with that of England? Some reflection, however, will reveal that such thinking was superficial. A country that manufactured nuclear energy could surely manufacture a flag. Fortunately, owing to the happy intervention of Gordon Robertson, then clerk of the Privy Council, Canada's public service entered the picture to assure that the color of the colors as well as every last detail of manufacture of the flag would conform to new highly exacting Canadian standards. As we have seen, much concern was attached to creating a unique Canadian flag, of Canadian colors, of Canadian design, even of Canadian proportions. It was only reasonable, therefore, that this unique Canadian device be still further distinguished from other flags in the world by precise colors of red and white—with dye colors researched and determined in Canada. Baty had described heraldry as "the science of clear brilliance,"6 and no more brilliant combination of metal and tincture can be imagined than that of argent and gules. But the brilliance of the effect depends largely on the exact hue of the red and of the white that are placed in combination one to the other. Red, which can vary all the way from orange to purple, has onehalf million measurable variations. Nor is it easy to achieve a perfect white. What Canada's flag required was dramatic and brilliant contrast. Working with argent and gules alone we enjoyed a considerably freer choice in terms of hue than did British Admiralty, or the American government, which had to obtain compatible hues of red, white, and blue, each additional color providing a limiting factor. The red of the Union Jack tended towards orange, the red of the Stars and Stripes tended towards purple. Canada sought her own unique red, something in between the Union Jack and Old Glory—a scarlet red that presented the most brilliant contrast to the white. Canada profited by the simplicity of the red and white motif and wished now to exploit fully her advantage with striking color definition. Canada aspired to the dramatic color effect obtaining in classic heraldry. Gordon Robertson of the Privy Council Office explains his personal intervention in the flag: The exercise about the colour and about the dyes developed after a trip that I took to Washington and to Williamsburg by car at Easter in 1965. I returned by way of Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Galt and Toronto and all along the route saw new Canadian flags that were all colours from pink through orange to rust—but virtually none that were red. I talked to Mr. Pearson about it when I got back and he agreed that the situation was not only intolerable but potentially very damaging to the idea of a new flag.7 On June 1, 1965, Robertson wrote to E. B. Armstrong, deputy minister of national defense expressing the prime minister's concern about the considerable variation in the shades of red appearing in specimens of the national flag flown on federal government buildings
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