The Flag of New Brunswick: A Symbol of Loyalist Heritage

A Flag Rooted in Loyalty and the Sea

New Brunswick’s flag was proclaimed on February 24, 1965, just nine days after the new Canadian Maple Leaf was raised for the first time. Like Ontario and Manitoba, New Brunswick moved quickly to establish its own flag in the wake of the national flag change.

Design and Symbolism

The flag features the full provincial coat of arms on a gold background. The upper portion shows a gold lion passant on a red field — a reference to the Duchy of Brunswick in Germany, from which the province takes its name (King George III was also Duke of Brunswick). The lower portion depicts a lymphad, an ancient oared galley, on a blue and white wavy sea, representing the province’s maritime heritage and shipbuilding industry.

New Brunswick was founded largely by United Empire Loyalists who fled the American Revolution, and the flag’s connections to the British Crown reflect this founding identity. The province was separated from Nova Scotia in 1784 specifically to accommodate the influx of loyalist refugees.