The ensign is also the flag of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and is used on land in this capacity.

Prior to the creation of the RCN, Canadian Government Ships of the Fisheries Protection Service had to use a defaced Blue Ensign with colonial badge as per the Colonial Naval Defence Act 1865.

The current ensign was introduced in 1968, and it replaced the national flag as the naval jack of the Canadian Forces.

Naval jacks are worn at the bow of warships, but only when anchored or docked during daylight hours or when "dressing overall" for special occasions.

[2][3] The commissioning pennant was the same as that used by the UK's Royal Navy until the early 1990s, at which point it was progressively phased out in favour of a new pennant of Canadian design, where the maple leaf replaces St. George's cross.