The Canadian flag is not a “bog standard three stripes” design. It even introduced a new vexillological term; the Canadian pale.

I don’t understand why you think the maple leaf, a symbol which has been associated with Canada ever since there was a “Canada” to speak of, is “cringe”.

The Canadian flag is a vexillological masterpiece and I will die on this hill. I wouldn’t bother dying for my country, but I would for its flag. It’s instantly recognizable, simple yet symbolic, and honestly such a massive glow-up from the previous Red Ensign flag.

You want to see a cringe flag? Look at this atrocity: