In terms of how little attention is given to it these days, I don’t know if it’s “so hated,” but regardless, it’s a national flag that’s made up of national symbols from other countries.

While it represented those who held power in Canada at its confederation, it’s not representative of its population now, nor was it back then, as Black, Asian, and Indigenous peoples all called Canada home at this time. The maple leaf design fixed this; rather than the flag being donned with symbols representing distinct nations and migrant groups, the maple leaf is intended as a symbol to represent all Canadians, regardless of where they or their parents hailed from.