In heraldry and vexillology, a Canadian pale is a centre band of a vertical triband flag (a pale in heraldry) that covers half the length of a flag, rather than a third as in most triband designs. This allows more space to display a central image (common charge).
History
The name was suggested by Sir
Conrad Swan, Rouge Dragon Pursuivant (a heraldic office in Britain), and first used by Queen
Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada proclaiming the new Canadian flag on 28 January 1965.
Description
The classic Canadian pale is a square central panel occupying half of a flag with 1:2 proportions. However, vexillological usage applies it to any central band that is half the width of the flag, even if this renders it non-square. The term Canadian pale is also used for flags which do not originate in Canada. The 3:5 flag of Mississippi and proposed flag of Taiwan and the 7:11 flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are all described as having a Canadian pale.
The Canadian pale is a popular feature of sub-national, civic and personal heraldry from Canada developed after 1965. A few examples can be found in the flag of Yukon, the flag of the city of Edmonton, Alberta, the arms of Athabaska University, and in the arms of numerous individual recipients.
The term is sometimes used in an even looser sense to refer to any flag with a larger central panel, irrespective of whether or not it covers half the flag. By this looser description, the flag of Norfolk Island (stripes in a ratio of 7:9:7) and the flag of Iowa (ratio legally undefined, but usually the central stripe is less than twice that of the outer stripes) are sometimes considered to have a Canadian pale.
Heraldry
In coats of arms, and
heraldry in general, a "Canadian pale" is what might well be referred to in South African heraldry as a "broad pale" as its width is half that of the shield on which it is shown as opposed to the ordinary pale's third to a quarter. They are most commonly used in Canadian heraldry.
Flag gallery
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg|Flag of the Northwest Territories
Flag of Yukon.svg|Flag of Yukon
Flag of Amherstburg, Canada.svg|Amherstburg
Flag of Cornwall, Ontario (granted).svg|Granted Flag of Cornwall, Ontario
Flag of Hamilton.svg|Flag of Hamilton, Ontario
File:Flag of Bohol Province, Philippines.svg|Flag of Bohol, Philippines
File:Flag of Iowa.svg|Flag of Iowa, United States
File:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg|Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
File:Flag of La Gomera.svg|Flag of the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands, Spain)
File:Flag of Myrhorod.svg|Flag of Myrhorod, Ukraine
File:Flag of Putrajaya.svg|Flag of Putrajaya, Malaysia
File:Flag of Taiwan proposed 1996.svg| Proposed 1996 Liu flag of Taiwan
File:Keski-Pohjanmaa.lippu.svg|Flag of Central Ostrobothnia, Finland
File:Flag of Mississippi.svg|Flag of Mississippi, United States
File:Flag of Lee County, Florida.svg|Lee County, Florida, United States
File:POL powiat malborski flag.svg|Flag of Malbork County, Poland
File:Flag of Columbus, Ohio.svg|Flag of Columbus, Ohio
File:POL województwo podkarpackie flag.svg|Flag of Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland
File:Ash Nallawalla's Proposal (1998 Australian Flag Proposal).svg| Ash Nallawalla's 1998 Australian flag proposal
File:Ropažu novada karogs.svg|alt=|Flag of Ropaži Municipality, Latvia.
File:Flag of Irkutsk Oblast.svg|Flag of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
File:Flag of Novgorod Oblast.svg|Flag of Novgorod Oblast, Russia
File:Flag of Novosibirsk Oblast.svg|Flag of Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia
File:Flag of Tver Oblast.svg|Flag of Tver Oblast, Russia
File:Flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996–2007).svg|Flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996–2007)
File:Kanepi valla lipp.svg|Flag of Kanepi Parish, Estonia
See also
