Residents of Saskatchewan are filled with pride as a core symbol and the embodiment of the province turns 55 years old today.
Saskatchewan Flag Day not only celebrates the creation of the flag but the mastermind behind it, Anthony Drake, who designed the flag as a part of a competition.
Gail Hapanowicz, owner of the old Hodgeville High School, noted that after she and her husband purchased the old school they learned about the flag and that its creator had once been a teacher there.
"Two years ago on June 1, Anthony Drake passed away," shared Hapanowicz. "Before he passed away, I told him that as long as I live in Saskatchewan I will always remember him by proclaiming September 22 as Saskatchewan Flag Day."
After being selected from 4,025 competitive entries and receiving his award, Drake and his family moved back to his home country of England to raise his daughter. For the first raising of his flag in 1969, Drake was unfortunately unable to attend due to already having returned to England.
Over the years Drake returned to Saskatchewan several times, meeting with numerous MLAs, government representatives, groups, and other well-known members of the community.
"At the 50th anniversary, he came and told everyone how he felt and I can tell you, he is the most humble man I've ever met," she said.
Hapanowicz also spoke about a significant experience Drake told her about in which he went out with some friends to Trafalgar Square's Canada House in England. The outside of Canada House is decorated with provincial flags, including Saskatchewan's, "his wife said to the friend that her husband designed that flag."
She noted that Drake's friend didn't believe him, stating that it was not even on the same continent they were living on and requested proof.
"It broke my heart, he didn't have any proof, he didn't even have a tiny little flag," said Hapanowicz. "Then when he came to visit we made a three-week tour of going to all these different cities all over Saskatchewan and made sure he saw his flag being raised many times and finally he had many flags and pieces of memorabilia."
The next major event for the Saskatchewan Flag will be the Jubilee, coming up in September 2029 where a Time Capsule will be opened from Drake's final visit to Hodgeville and Saskatchewan in 2019.
"We do what we can do to keep the memory of our beautiful flag alive and let people know that there's a person behind that flag, I want people to remember him as well," concluded Hapanowicz.