The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of contemporary flute repertoire by Canadian composers. Largely unknown outside of Canada, the works that are featured in this document represent a sampling of the diversity of styles and idioms in Canadian music. To provide a context for understanding current trends and directions in Canadian music, a brief history of music in Canada is summarized. This history discusses the strong link between the Canadian national character and the music that is the subsequent product. Seven works, representing a variety of styles and genres, are analyzed in detail to provide the potential performer with sufficient information and understanding of their idiom, construction, compositional style, historical context, and contemporary techniques. Brief biographies of each selected composer are also included. Both traditional and non-traditional methods of analysis are used as a means to provide an accurate description of each work. The Catalogue of Contemporary Canadian Flute Repertoire: A Performer's Guide, included in this document (Volume II) provides as comprehensive a listing as possible. It is this author's hope that by providing the resources to explore this large body of work, this deserving artistic output will receive greater recognition and increased performances both in the professional and academic worlds.