Anthony Drake
{{Short description|English school teacher and designer of Saskatchewan flag (1941–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox artist
| name = Anthony Drake
| birth_date = 1941
| birth_place = England
| death_date = {{death date|2022|6|1||df=y}} (age 81)
| death_place = England
| nationality = English
| spouse = Joan Drake
| notable_works = Design of the Saskatchewan flag (adopted in 1969)
}}{{Infobox flag
| Name = Saskatchewan
| Image = Flag of Saskatchewan.svg
| Imagetext = The Flag of Saskatchewan adopted on 22 September 1969
}}
Anthony Drake (1941{{snd}}1{{nbsp}}June 2022){{Cite web |title=Saskatchewan flag creator Anthony Drake passes away |url=https://www.swiftcurrentonline.com/articles/saskatchewan-flag-creator-anthony-drake-passes-away |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=SwiftCurrentOnline}} was an English high school teacher who designed the provincial flag of Saskatchewan in 1968.{{Cite web |title=Featured Stories - Hodgeville Students Meet Flag Designer - Chinook School Division |url=https://www.chinooksd.ca:443/FeaturedStories/students%20with%20Sask%20Flag%20designer.jpeg?ID=115 |access-date=27 June 2022 |website=www.chinooksd.ca |language=en-US}}
The flag was adopted on 22 September 1969, but by then, Drake and his wife had already returned to England and therefore never had the opportunity to see his creation fly in the province until 2016 when he and his wife visited Canada for a tour of Saskatchewan.
Early life
Drake's family emigrated from England to Preston, Ontario when he was still a boy. He became lonely and after finishing high school, he moved back to England. He studied at a Teachers Training College and qualified as a teacher. He also married his fiancée, Joan.{{Cite web |title=The weird and wonderful story of Saskatchewan's provincial flag |url=https://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/the-weird-and-wonderful-story-of-saskatchewans-provincial-flag |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=leaderpost |language=en-CA}}
Career
Drake saw an advertisement for a teaching post in Saskatchewan, Canada and sent in an application. Upon securing the post, he and his wife, Joan moved from East Yorkshire,{{Cite web |title=An amazing journey: Designer returns to province for 50th anniversary of Saskatchewan flag |url=https://www.moosejawtoday.com/local-news/an-amazing-journey-designer-returns-to-province-for-50th-anniversary-of-saskatchewan-flag-1582907 |access-date=27 June 2022 |website=MooseJawToday.com |language=en}} England to Hodgeville, Saskatchewan. In 1968, while working as a teacher in Hodgeville High School, he came across a post in the newspaper about a new Saskatchewan provincial flag design competition for a cash prize worth $1,000 and decided to try his luck. He submitted 13 designsand before the result of the contest was announced, he learned that his wife was expecting their first child. He and his wife moved back to East Yorkshire, England in 1969 so their family could meet their daughter.{{Cite web |title=Anthony Drake 1941-2022: Sask. flag designer 'just drew a picture' |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatchewan/anthony-drake-1967-2022-sask-flag-designer-just-drew-a-picture |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=thestarphoenix |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |title=Saskatchewan flag pioneers meet for first time after 50 years {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5660593/ssaskatchewan-flag-pioneers-50-years/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}
Over 4,000 flag designs were received by the province and unbeknown to him, one of his designs was selected and he won the $1,000 cash prize. The Saskatchewan Government officially unveiled his flag and ran it up a flagpole in the autumn of 1969.
He didn't see his flag until 2016. when he and his wife visited Canada for a tour of Saskatchewan and to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the adoption of his flag. While there, they met dignitaries, Hodgeville students {{Cite web |title=Featured Stories - Hodgeville Students Meet Flag Designer - Chinook School Division |url=https://www.chinooksd.ca:443/FeaturedStories/students%20with%20Sask%20Flag%20designer.jpeg?ID=115 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=www.chinooksd.ca |language=en-US}} and many others.
He and his wife returned to Saskatchewan for the last time in 2019 for a VIP tour of the province to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Saskatchewan flag.
Death
References
External links
- [https://library.usask.ca/sni/stories/beg33.html Regina Leader Post, Sask.Ca - September 23, 1969]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Anthony}}
Category:English schoolteachers
{{Authority control}}