The King's Colour Union Jack was presented to the veterans of the 67th Battalion (Western Scots) Canadian Expeditionary Force and placed in the Memorial Rotunda to represent the participation of soldiers from British Columbia at the World War I battle for Vimy Ridge. It was presented on August 21, 1922, by Governor General Lord Byng and originally hung in the Legislative Library.
Regiments from across Canada participated in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which is considered Canada's most important victory in WWI. With their victory at Vimy Ridge, Canadian soldiers achieved international recognition as a military force distinct from that of Great Britain. In the words of Brigadier-General Alexander Ross, who commanded the 28th (North-West) Battalion at Vimy, "It was Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific on parade. I thought then... that in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation." The significance of Vimy Ridge is now (since 2003) commemorated on April 9, which is the National Day of Remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
The White Ensign - located directly across from the King's Colour - serves as the flag of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. It was also used by the Canadian Navy from 1911 until the adoption of the Maple Leaf flag in 1965. It was the flag of the Canadian Navy at the time of the First, Second, and Korean wars.
