The first Canadian flag was known as the Red Ensign. It featured a quartered shield, also known as an escutcheon, to represent the first four original provinces of Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. A redesign of the Canadian flag was adopted in 1921 and abandoned the practice of adding the coat of arms of each new province as they joined the Canadian Confederation. The new design was divided into five sections. The top left corner contains three lions to represent England. A lion surrounded by fleurs-de-lis in the top right quarter represents Scotland. The Irish Tara harp is found in the third quarter; it is also depicted in Ireland’s coat of arms. The fleurs-de-lis, a symbolic icon of Canada’s French history occupies the fourth quarter. The bottom of the shield bears a sprig of three maple leaves, a symbol adopted by Canada in the early 19th century and the center piece of its national flag.
