A large Saskatchewan flag fluttered in the breeze outside the office of Moose Jaw MLA Warren Michelson, as the community politician helped celebrate the flag’s 50th anniversary.
Michelson held open house on Sept. 20 to honour the flag’s five decades of existence in the province. Coffee, cookies and paper flags were on hand for visitors to take, while several pictures were laid showing the creator of the flag, Anthony Drake, with Michelson and with Percy Schmeiser, one of the men from the flag selection committee.
“This is a special day,” Michelson said. “The flag is unique. It is simple. There are not a lot of details, but it says what needs to be said.”
Honouring the province’s flag is significant, he added, while it was also exciting to host the open house.
The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed Sunday, Sept. 22 as Saskatchewan Flag Day throughout the province.
Michelson met Drake in 2016 when the flag creator came to Saskatchewan from England at the request of Hodgeville businesswoman Gail Hapanowicz. Drake had worked as a teacher in Hodgeville from 1967 to 1969; before he left, he submitted 13 designs for the flag contest. He and his wife returned to England before actually seeing the flag fly over Saskatchewan.
Hapanowicz contacted Drake three years ago and invited him back, where he experienced an emotional moment when he saw — for the first time — the flag he designed being raised, Michelson said.
Drake and his wife returned to Saskatchewan this summer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the flag. During his visit, Drake met Schmeiser from Bruno, Sask., the only surviving member of the committee that selected the flag design. Drake also spent time at the Moose Jaw air show with Michelson.
Michelson phoned Drake the day before the open house to say he was hosting the event. Since Coun. Heather Eby was going to be on hand at 1:30 p.m. to proclaim the day as Saskatchewan Flag Day, the MLA thought Drake might be able to participate by FaceTime since it would be 8:30 p.m. in England.
Drake, however, had a prior commitment but passed on his best wishes for the event.
“The flag is a symbol of pride and respect for the ideals that are a representation of our province … ,” Michelson wrote in a recent column in the Moose Jaw Express. “I am often stirred as I see the Saskatchewan flag fly above the Legislative building, thinking of how it represents who we are as a people of Saskatchewan.”
