Heritage Month Day 29

Tuesday, September 29 – Maple Leaf

Canada became a nation in 1867 when Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia formed the Dominion of Canada. Other provinces and territories joined Canada over the next many decades.

From our 1867 Confederation we flew variations of the British Union Jack or Red Ensign flags. There were several attempts to ‘consider’ starting a conversation about creating a Canadian flag, but it wasn’t until the 1960s when the debate about Canada’s “flag problem” truly opened up under Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.

Thousands of concepts were considered. The debate was long and emotional but, finally, the red-and-white maple leaf Canadian flag was chosen and made official by Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II in January 1965.

I remember my immigrant parents – and many people in our neighbourhood, and all across Canada – excited to get a flagpole and a Maple Leaf flag to raise at home for Canada’s 1967 Centennial celebration.

So, today, as the leaves begin to change during a rather lovely autumn season, our postcard art challenge is a maple leaf.

Once you’ve written your postcard, consider contacting your Member of Parliament or federal representative about why you support Ukraine, and why they are encouraged to also do so. And don’t be shy … invite them to write a postcard to a Defender! 😉 We know of several MPs who have written cards to Defenders.

For postcard warriors outside of Canada, consider drawing your own flag on your postcard. Imagine postcards with images of flags from all over the world hanging on the wall of a trench postcard gallery at the front lines!

How to Draw a Maple Leaf

Choose your postcard and a variety of autumn colours – crayons, markers, watercolour paints. You’ll note that I keep handy our Ukrainian phrases translation sheet when writing postcards to Defenders of Ukraine.

Go to How to Draw a Maple Leaf on YouTube for a quick-and-easy step-by-step to draw a maple leaf.

Here’s my effort, following the steps from the YouTube tutorial –

Tomorrow … we wrap up Ukrainian Heritage Month.

Each day through Ukrainian Heritage Month, we share an easy-to-do creative idea that you can try on your postcards to Defenders. 30 days. 30 cards. Simple art.

Our Ultimate Heritage Challenge to you, dear postcard warriors: one postcard per day during September. Try some of the postcard art ideas we offer through this month. Prizes will be drawn for three winners who have tried at least three different ideas that we’ve shared through the month of September. We’ll know because your cards will ‘show’ us.

Deadline: we must receive your Ukrainian Heritage Month challenge postcards in our mailbox by October 20.

Share your creative ideas with us, and any other ways in which you acknowledge Ukrainian Heritage Month.

Email your ideas and images to us along with a brief explanation and we’ll share: postcardstothefront.canada@gmail.com

Tag us on Instagram, Facebook, Threads. We’d love to share your stories with others. Don’t forget to tag the creators whose ideas you use.

IG and Threads: @postcardstothefront_canada   @ukrainian.heritage.month   

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