We talk or think about the early settlers to North America, and Australia. But, those people chose to arrive in the New World(s). They would have expected to forage, build a shelter and later a home. It would have been much more than they expected, but they had some experience in finding food, and so on. They came with supplies too.

I seldom read about the convicts who were sent to Canada, US, and Australia. Were some sent to other places too, before they places had European given names? They would have grown up in the cities, rural if they were lucky. How would they have felt after starving in Europe, stealing, lying, cheating, desperate for basic needs like food and shelter?

Now here they are... there's nothing as far as human habitation. Sick and worse for wear to say the least, travelling on the ship for months. Before people built a colony, a settlement, a group shelter, an outhouse. Before any of them knew about native people - even if they could find a way to communicate with them and not be afraid of those "savages".

To land on the shore of Atlantic Canada with nothing but the clothes on your back and whatever might be in your pockets. After being in jail, shuffled along to the ship, the sea voyage which would have taken months. Here they are, get off the ship and what... go climb a tree? The forest would be thick. Only get thicker as they tried to enter it.

Do they know what to eat? Some will poison themselves due to not knowing what is safe to eat. No one would be there to help them if they were sick, if they were injured, if they just wanted to go home again. If they grew up in a city, do they even know how to forage for anything edible? How to trap animals, how to fish? The food would be plenty all around them but... Some of it comes with claws, and teeth, and very little fear of humans.

They would arrive at the end of summer, the beginning of fall, if the trip went well at sea. The ships would not stick around long. The voyage back had to be started on time so they would be at least halfway back to Europe before the weather got rough(er). The sailors and crew of the ships might never have seen winter in Canada or summer in Australia. Unless they were somehow left behind. The convicts would have no idea what was coming. Yes, Europe gets snow in winter. They don't get winter like Canada, winter was even harder then, with more snow and cold. Most of those early people to arrive in Canada and Australia had no chance at all.

At first, if they knew how to forage, they might have thought they were lucky... so much food right there for the picking. After starving in Europe now they had plenty. Could any of them build a fire? How would city dwellers in this time know to build a fire, without matches, or dry wood, or kindling, or rocks to get a spark.

You get the idea, more or less. Those people were not settlers, they were abandoned. Could they work together? Would they work together?

Imagine yourself left on the shore without technology, tools, friends... How many of them died right there, on the shore, just overwhelmed. But they were used to struggling, so I don't think many would have given up so quickly or completely. Those survivors, those few, are the real early settlers. They didn't know it at the time.

The Red Ensign seems to be a military flag in Canadian history. I don't think a campaign to restore it will go far over now, more than 60 years later. People know the flag with the maple leaf in its centre. Few will know (or remember) the old flags, including the Red Ensign. Also, it seems to be about Canada's heritage with the British and the monarchy in England. I think we have outgrown that. It is symbolic, not purposeful or necessary. I don't want to forget our past, our links to England, and France. But, I'm Canadian, the maple leaf is Canadian. I don't want to trade it in for another flag. But, I do still like the name: The Dominion of Canada. It sounds formal and elegant but its about being under British sovereignty, so a cosmetic title and not used any longer.

Dominion Society of Canada - Restore the Red Ensign

In 1965, the national flag of Canada was changed from the Canadian Red Ensign to the current Maple Leaf flag without so much as a referendum to give people a voice to see if they wanted to change the current flag or not.

In 2014, while it might be too late to make the Canadian Red Ensign the national flag of Canada, it is never too late to right this historical wrong by making the Canadian Red Ensign an official flag of Canada similar in status to the current national flag and the Royal Union Flag.

The Canadian Red Ensign should be flown at all appropriate war memorials and cemeteries, Canada Day, and other places and events where Canada's past should be honoured. The flag should be also be accorded the same reverence and respect as the national flag.

via - Bring Back the Red Ensign. (Facebook group, not active)

I also found - Canadian Red Ensign Campaign The website is 404 but the page is still on Facebook, not active.

National Flag of Canada Day — February 15 At the stroke of noon on February 15, 1965, Canada’s red and white maple leaf flag was raised for the very first time on Parliament Hill. On the same day in 1996, National Flag of Canada Day was declared.

Canadian Flag Etiquette

• The National Flag of Canada should always fly alone on its own flagpole or mast.

• The National Flag of Canada can be flown at night without being lit.

• When the National Flag of Canada is raised or lowered, or when it is carried past in a parade or review, people should face the flag, men should remove their hats, and all should remain silent.

• The National Flag of Canada is lowered to half-mast on occasions when a demonstration of sorrow is called for. Canada has its own Rules for Half-masting.

• Replace a faded or torn flag with a new one. When a flag becomes tattered and is no longer in a suitable condition for use, it should be destroyed in a dignified way.

• The National Flag of Canada should be treated with respect.

• The dimensions/proportions of the National Flag of Canada have an exact ratio of 2 to 1 (twice as long as it is wide), and must not be modified.

• The National Flag of Canada should not be written on or marked in any way, nor be covered by other objects.

• Nothing should be pinned or sewn on the National Flag of Canada.

• The National Flag of Canada should never be dipped or lowered to the ground as a means of paying a salute or compliment to any person or thing.

Disposal of the National Flag of Canada

A flag is considered to be worn when the colour has faded, it has developed a hole or the outermost seam (fly) of the flag has become frayed. When a flag becomes tattered and is no longer in a suitable condition for use, it should be disposed of in a dignified manner.

The disposal of a flag may be handled in the following manner:

• Flags made of natural fibres (wool, cotton, linen) should be burned in a dignified manner, privately, without ceremony or public attention being drawn to the destruction of the material.
• Flags made of synthetic material (nylon or polyester) should not be burned due to environmental damage and potential fire hazard. They should be respectfully torn into strips, with each element of the flag reduced to a single colour, so that the remaining pieces do not resemble a flag. The individual pieces should then be placed in a bag for disposal -- the shreds of fabric should not be reused or fashioned into anything.

Beechwood Cemetery, the National Cemetery of Canada, operates a program to respectfully retire national and provincial flags, consistent with the National Flag of Canada etiquette.

The government website has a pdf file with the proposed flags for Canada.

Canadian Links (Originally collected for my Canadian Culture ezine).

• Wildflower Society of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia Wild Flora Society
• Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan
• Native Plant Society of British Columbia
• Flora Quebec
• Alberta Native Plant Council
• North American Native Plant Society

People I've bought coffee for on ko-fi.

Noah Nowhere - Exploring old and abandoned places, somewhere in Ontario. Also on Instagram.

Shandi with the site: Small Town Canada - She was off to a great start but hasn't posted in awhile. See also Instagram and her YouTube account.

Canada's Magic

Robyn Lacy - historical archaeologist with a PhD, focused on burial grounds, historic landscapes, and built heritage. Spade and the Grave.