REGINA – The man who designed the Saskatchewan flag, but never got to see it fly in person, was recognized in the legislature.
The United Kingdom resident moved to the prairies after seeing an advertisement saying the province was in need of teachers, which meant they would pay people’s way into the province and provide housing.
Then in 1968 Anthony Drake saw an advertisement for a flag design contest in the paper and decided to give it a go.
Drake submitted 13 designs, and over 4,000 were received by the province.
However, by the time Drake’s design was adopted on September 22, 1969 he’d moved back to the UK.
Despite taking place about 47 years ago he still remembers his reaction to hearing the news.
“It wasn’t a thought, it was a feeling. It was a kind of sudden surprise feeling that you get sometimes and you get shocked into not being able to speak, and your mind goes into a kind of dream,” Drake explained.
The green section of the flag represents the northern forests, while the yellow is for the wheat fields. Drake says any good flag should properly reflect the land it represents.
Drake is currently in Saskatchewan on a tour of the province with his family. A documentary crew is following them around for a film.
With files from The Canadian Press
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