For other uses, see
Maple leaf (disambiguation). The maple leaf is the characteristic
leaf of the
maple tree, and is an important
national symbol of
Canada. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of
New France had attained a population of about 18,000. Also by this time, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by the
Canadiens along the
Saint Lawrence River.Its popularity with French Canadians continued, and was reinforced when, at the inaugural meeting of the
Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste in
1834, the maple leaf was one of numerous emblems proposed to represent the society. Speaking in its favour,
Jacques Viger, the first mayor of
Montreal, described the maple as "the king of our forest; ... the symbol of the Canadian people."
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A gold, silver, or platinum coin minted in Canada that usually
trades at slightly more than its current
bullion value.