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The Yukon flag adopted, 1967.
1967 Yukon Nuggets
The Yukon Flag
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It flies proudly throughout this land - a symbol of the rich heritage of the Yukon. Yet what do its parts mean? The Yukon’s flag came into being as the result of a contest sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion back in the '60s. Yukon students were asked to submit designs for what would become the official Yukon flag.
When the contest ended, a design by Lynn Lambert of Destruction Bay was chosen. Some modifications were made for heraldic purposes, since things as official as a flag must follow certain rigid specifications. There are, for example, very specific colour code numbers for the green and blue panels on either side of the flag. But the basic elements remain. So the next time you see the Yukon flag flying in a stiff summer breeze, consider the following:
The green panel adjacent to the mast stands for the forests, the white centre panel for the snow and the blue outer panel for water. The centre white panel has the Yukon crest above a symbolic representation of fireweed, the Yukon’s flower.
The shield symbolizes the history of the territory. The wavy white and blue stripe represents all the rivers of the Yukon. The red triangles are for the mountains, while the gold-coloured discs inside the triangles depict mineral resources.
The red cross on the shield is the Cross of St. George and refers to early explorers. On the top of the shield, stands a proud-looking malamute husky, the animal whose stamina and loyalty was vital to all Yukoners in the early days.
The Yukon flag was officially adopted by the Council of the Yukon Territory on December 1st, 1967.
A CKRW Yukon Nugget by Les McLaughlin.
Les McLaughlin
As storyteller, radio man, and music producer, Les proved a passionate preserver of Yukon heritage throughout his life — nowhere more evident than as the author and voice of CKRW’s “Yukon Nuggets,” from its inception until his passing in 2011.
