For centuries, Canada’s identity was stitched together under borrowed banners, but the debate over a true national flag sparked some of the most defining moments in the country’s history. Releasing on Feb. 25, Flags of Canada by The Right Honourable Stephen J. Harper — an avid vexillologist and Canada’s 22nd prime minister — chronicles the political battles, cultural tensions and national aspirations that led to the adoption of the Maple Leaf flag on this day in 1965. Published by Sutherland House Books in association with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for the flag’s 60th anniversary, Flags of Canada reveals how a symbol of unity emerged from one of Canada’s most polarizing debates.