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# Franco-Manitobains (Manitoba, Canada)

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Last modified: 2026-07-04 by rob raeside
Keywords: franco-manitobains | canada | leaf |
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image by Eugene Ipavec, 6 November 2005

See also:

- Manitoba
- Flags of the French Communities (Canada)

Outside Links:

- Société de la francophonie manitobaine (in French)

Adopted: 17 February 1980
Designer: Unknown
Proportions: 1:2

The Association of French-Canadians of Manitoba is the leading organization among the 5% of the Manitoba population that have a French cultural background (54.000 people). It was this association that adopted the flag of the Franco-Manitobains. The flag is white over yellow over red, with the white making up two thirds of the hight of the flag. Set towards the hoist is a green plant emblem in four pieces, with top in the white field and stems extending to the bottom. I am not sure whether the white follows the green plant stems to the bottom of the flag. The description in Harrington's article does not so, but the illustration indicates it does.

The red stripe represents the Red River, while yellow is for wheat. The green plant emblem, it makes up two letters F back to back, is the symbol representing Frenchness. It is not supposed, it seems, to be a particular plant. Manitoba's floral emblem is the Prairie Crocus, which looks different from the emblem.

Sources:

- Kevin Harrington: 'The Flags of the Francophonie in Canada', Flag Bulletin, No. 147, 1992, pp.139-152.
- Symbols of Nationhood, Minister of Supply and Services, Ottawa, 1991

Jan Oskar Engene - 15 August 1996

The church that I attend holds some of it's adult Sunday School classes in a French school across the street. Right across from the classroom that my class uses is a flagstand with three flags in it, Manitoba's on the left, Canada's on the right, and the Franco-Manitoban flag in the middle (strange that it gets the position of honour!) (This is as you look at it, BTW).

I have seen the flag numerous times before (my family's favourite vacation spot is in the heart of French-speaking rural Manitoba, and my house is just a few blocks form the biggest French neighbourhood in Canada outside of the province of Quebec.) I see it often in French areas of Manitoba, and I think it is rather attractive.
David Kendall - 05 November 1996

### A flag for us

by Liz Bigourdan

It flies in front of French schools and other Manitoban buildings

Since 1980, the Franco-Manitoban flag has been a symbol of the unique French culture, and its pride here in Manitoba.

The flag is white with a red band at the bottom. This represents the Red River with its great plains of fertile land in that place where the Francophones from the Province first established themselves. A yellow band, above the red band, represents the grain of Manitoba. The green symbolizes the deep roots of a people. It's leaf depicts a stylized capital F.

The flag is the creation of Cyril Parent, winner of a contest held by the Provincial Youth Council (CJP), explains Rodrigue Guay, president of the CJP.

"In the 1960s, Franco-Manitobans had only the French-Canadian flag", says Guay.

"But there has been peaceful revolution. We lacked a flag of our own".

The CJP has the rights to the flag, and sells it from its office on Provencher street.

Photo caption: "Rodrigue Guay holds the Franco-Manitoban flag at heart"
translated by Justin Mansfield, retouched by the editor.

from: "The Lance" (the December 3 1996 edition). Small, community paper, basically serves the neighbourhoods of south Winnipeg (used to deliver it when I was a teen.)
David Kendall, 04 December 1996

The image you sent is almost identical to the one I posted in August (as part of the series of flags of French speaking Canada). The only difference is that the stems of the green leaves/branches are bordered in white in David's GIF while they border directly on the yellow and red in my image. My source was not clear on this point, so it is nice to know there should be white borders.
Jan Oskar Engene, 04 December 1996

The leaves are definitely white-bordered - when I've seen the flag first hand it's like that. Much more appealing IMHO than if the bands were touching the leaves straight. I believe the measurement for the white border is exactly the same width as that of the leaves.
David Kendall, 04 December 1996

I think the franco-mantobain flag is one of the nicest among the flags of the French speakers in Canada. It is a very well designed flag, and inventive too with the plant/F emblem
Jan Oskar Engene, 05 December 1996

I found a copy of https://www.sfm.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Guide-normes-graphiques_Drapeau-FM_juillet-2020.pdf. It is a 2020 update of the flag used by the Franco-Manitobains and it not only has a definite specification sheet but also gives colors in CMYK, Pantone and web-safe RGB.
Zachary Harden, 17 June 2026