At 3:00 p.m. on January 21, 1948, the government of Maurice Duplessis first bred the lily. 75 years later, a new flag was raised at the same time on Saturday.
• Also read: Our flag turns 75 on Saturday: This is what it looked like
• Also read: The fleur-de-lis flag is honored on its 75th anniversary
Here are some reactions gathered during the Quebec ceremony:
“You have to remember that 75 years ago, minus a few minutes, the Union Jack was still floating at the top of the National Assembly mast. It was about time we gave ourselves a Quebec flag,” recalls Jean-François Roberge, French Language Minister.
“This blue flag with Nordic colors is a reminder of our territory,” said Jean-Lesage MP Sol Zanetti from Québec solidaire.
“It is one of the most beautiful flags in the world, recognized around the world,” believes Nathalie Roy, President of the National Assembly.
“It’s our ultimate symbol. I think in order to know where we are going, we need to know where we are coming from,” thinks Sylvain Lévesque, vice-president of the National Assembly.
A rally was also held in Montreal.
Check out the new flag in the report above.