I've been thinking about this for a while. Who doesn't love the Canadian flag? I mean it's perfect. It's distinct. If it weren't for all those pointy bits, it would be darn simple to draw too. It allows us to have stylish uniforms at the Olympics and allows us to have fun. And isn't that the essence of being Canadian? To laugh at ourselves when we come in 23rd place in a downhill ski event?

But here's the thing: the red maple leaf is the fall leaf. It's the tired old leaf that, while still beautiful, it's about to drop.

I love that we had a flag controversy back in the early 60s, that Lester Pearson helped us forge an identity by losing the Red Ensign and all. But why not pick a green leaf? It's bright, it's new, kinda like Canada is supposed to be ("Canada, soon to be a real country!") New growth, hope springing eternal and all that. But no. We set our standard by the lovely, yet dying light.

It's kind of like this other thing I talked about a few years ago right here on cutting edge Pigdump. Ontarians were moaning about the snow and winter, but our provincial theme song shouts out: "Give us a land of lakes and a land of snow, and we will build Ontario!" Ask for snow, get snow.

And ask to be represented by a red leaf, and just wait for the long dark days on the way. Our flag is ominous. It's a sign of the death that is just around the corner. It brings bad tidings. No wonder we're brusk. And cold. And often bitter and petty.

In the end, what we really are is a mixture of everything and our flag should look more like the one at the right here. We're a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. We complain about winter, then moan about the heat and humidity. We go both ways. We love our homegrown celebrities, then hate them when they become too big in the USA. We're multicultural so why not be multicoloured?

But that's just me. And I mean it all in a nice way.

Don't sue me.

Thanks and good luck.