LeeEnfieldNo.4_mkI and anyone else who might be interested ....
Don't know how I missed this thread back in March, but very shortly thereafter I posted in the Black Powder and Antiques forum regarding a project to have a reproduction made of the most commonly flown version of the Canadian Red Ensign in the period from 1873 into the first decade or so of the 20th century.
Best to read the thread there (link below) to follow the process of evolution which resulted in this being the likely design:
Summary: As you may know, the only "official" version of the Canadian Red Ensign until the adoption of the 1920's design was the one formally adopted in 1868, which bore a shield with armorial elements for only the original four Provinces (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia). However, as new Provinces entered Confederation flag-makers took it upon themselves to embellish the shield with additional elements,. The image above is a representation of the very common "Seven Province" version, which also includes elements for Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871) and Prince Edward Island (1873.) This "unofficial" Ensign was what would be most often seen flying everywhere in Canada ( even over Government buildings) throughout the last quarter of the 19th Century, and well into the 20th. Even after Alberta and Saskatchewan entered Confederation in 1905, this was apparently the most commonly seen flag .... even during WWI ....
Various factors caused me to put this project on hold 2 or 3 months ago, but I am now resurrecting it. I need to determine how many people will definitely commit to buying one of these flags, which in turn will determine how big an order gets placed with the flag-maker and thus what the end cost will be. The flag will be 3' by 5' in size and (to keep the project practical and affordable) will be made of printed nylon or polyester. (At present, it appears that the cost of a single flag would be in the range of Cdn$55, plus costs of shipping to individual purchasers. (It
would be nice to have a period correct "sewn" flag, but the cost would skyrocket!)
Here is the link to the original thread I mentioned earlier -
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=452158