Canadian Provincial Flags Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alberta

The flag of Alberta, the ninth of ten provinces to join Canada, was adopted by the province in 1968, three years after Canada adopted the maple leaf flag (it had previously shared the Union Jack). The flag, depicted in Alberta Blue, features the provincial crest which includes the Rocky Mountains, grain-filled fields, and St. George's Cross. Alberta, of course, shares the Rockies with the province to the west and the prairies with the provinces to the east.

Answer: Prince Edward Island

The flag of Prince Edward Island is the only one in the country to feature a unique border - it alternates between red and white all the way around (except on the side next to the mast). The flag also features the lion on the top; this is meant to symbolize Prince Edward, a British commander-in-chief during the final year of the eighteenth century.

The oaks are meant to represent the larger Great Britain and the island of P.E.I. split into its mere three counties; it became the flag in 1964.

Answer: Quebec

Quebec, the primarily French-speaking province in Canada, flies this flag of blue and white with four fleurs-de-lis - one in each corner - representing the Virgin Mary of the predominant Catholic faith. While much of British-occupied Canada was Protestant, French-speaking Canadian settlers were Roman Catholic, and much of Quebec culture has resonated from these influences.

The flag was one of the earliest, first flown in 1948. It has since been joined by several different variations and there have been instances in which political separatists have wanted to change it. Nonetheless, this image remains emblematic.

Answer: Newfoundland and Labrador

Flown for the first time nearly five centuries after being discovered by famous historical figure John Cabot, the flag of Newfoundland and Labrador was the last one to appear for the ten provinces. Before this, the two parts of the province simply used the British Union Jack as their flag. Newfoundland and Labrador was also the last province to join after Confederation (it was added in 1949), only being followed by territory to the northwest, Nunavut.

The flag is a simple design with a lot of meaning; the left half is meant to tie it to the Union Jack while the right side is meant to represent both halves of the province and its future moving forward.

Answer: Saskatchewan

Go figure - the one with the wheat turns out to be Saskatchewan, a province best known for its wheat fields and agriculture. The emblem in the top left features the heraldic English lion and three wheat sheaves, while the Western Red Lily to the left is the provincial flower.

The colours of the flag are also important as much of Saskatchewan's north is dense forest in the Canadian Shield leading upward to the northern territories. The south of the province is dry, dusty, and full of farmlands.

The flag was inducted in 1969.

Answer: New Brunswick

The ship on the New Brunswick flag, introduced in 1965, is not meant to represent a specific ship in the province's history, but rather display a former major industry in the province. During the earlier history of Canada (even before it was known as an independent nation), the coast of this maritime province welcomed trade a great deal and facilitated the building of many of Canada's ships. Unlike many of the other provinces in Canada, which feature a red lion to indicate a tie to the British, the gold lion on the New Brunswick flag ties the province back to Germany (specifically Brunswick).

Answer: Ontario

This red ensign flag, originally a design used for the nation (except for the emblem on the right), remained Ontario's flag even after Canada took on the maple leaf. Nonetheless, the Union Jack remained with Ontario due to its history as Upper Canada (the British-occupied area colonized hundreds of years before Confederation).

The emblem features the Cross of St. George, reflective of monarch King George III and three maple leaves - symbols of Canada. The flag was finalized in 1965 after much debate.

Answer: Manitoba

Although very similar to the Ontario flag (particularly the red ensign design, the Union Jack, and the emblem with the Cross of St. George on the right), the flag does differ a bit. Specifically, the emblem contains a bison instead of maple leaves. This is because before they were hunted down for fur and meat in the nation's earlier days, Manitoba used to be teeming with them.

This flag was added to the roster one year after Ontario's.

Answer: Nova Scotia

The Nova Scotian flag was adopted in 1856 and the emblem on it is the red lion. Oddly, the flag is the opposite of the Scottish flag - a white X on a blue background - which is better known as St. Andrew's cross. Without the crest in the center of the flag, it would be identical to the Russian naval flag.

The red lion, like the one on the Saskatchewan flag, is a heraldic emblem harkening back to the rule of Great Britain. This make sense as Nova Scotia was an early Scottish colony.

Answer: British Columbia

Adopted in 1960, the flag has the British Union Jack in the top third to signify the British history of the province; the crown inside (the only occurrence of such on any of the provincial flags) indicates the influence of the monarchy. As for the bottom portion, the flag features a wavy blue and white pattern (the sea and the Rockies) along with a gigantic portion of sun.

This is because, as the westernmost province, B.C. gets the final moments of sunset.