1 Answer

The maple leaf has served as a symbol celebrating the nature and environment of what is now Canada since the 18th century.[7] The number of points on the leaf has no significance;[8] The number and arrangement of the points were chosen after wind tunnel tests showed the current design to be the least blurry of the various designs when tested under high wind conditions.[9] The image of the maple leaf used on the flag was designed by Jacques Saint-Cyr;[10] however, Jack Cook claims that this stylized eleven-point maple leaf was lifted from a copyrighted design owned by a Canadian craft shop in Ottawa.[11] In 1921, King George V proclaimed the official colours of Canada as red, from Saint George's Cross, and white, from the French royal emblem since King Charles VII.[12]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Canada