The official date of Canada’s independence is July 1st 1867.
Despite this, the Canadian flag still sported the British Union Jack in the early 1960s. The Canadian Coat of arms was included on the Red Ensign but to Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson that wasn’t enough. The flag still significantly reflected Canada’s British roots.
Despite this, the Canadian flag still sported the British Union Jack in the early 1960s. The Canadian Coat of arms was included on the Red Ensign but to Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson that wasn’t enough. The flag still significantly reflected Canada’s British roots.
So in 1964, PM Pearson formed a committee to create a new home-made flag for Canada. This committee was headed by M.P. John Matheson.
Of course, no one on the committee could agree on one design. After all this would represent Canada for years and years to come. It wasn’t a choice to be taken lightly.
Now there was certainly no common agreement on whether a new flag was even needed or not, the veterans of World War I and II were quite touchy on the matter, as they’d fought under the old flag and they didn’t want to lose it.
Winnipeg’s Canadian Legion went so far as to boo at Pearson when he revealed the “Pearson Pennant”, which was a flag with three maple leaves bordered by two blue bars down the sides.
Of course, no one on the committee could agree on one design. After all this would represent Canada for years and years to come. It wasn’t a choice to be taken lightly.
Now there was certainly no common agreement on whether a new flag was even needed or not, the veterans of World War I and II were quite touchy on the matter, as they’d fought under the old flag and they didn’t want to lose it.
Winnipeg’s Canadian Legion went so far as to boo at Pearson when he revealed the “Pearson Pennant”, which was a flag with three maple leaves bordered by two blue bars down the sides.
One of the most intense opponents of the new flag idea was former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. His talks about the need to maintain Canada’s historic ties to Britain were always high spirited. He strongly insisted that any new flag needed to reflect Canada’s British and French heritage. On the other hand, the NDP under Tommy Douglas eagerly supported the idea of a flag with just one maple leaf.
It was a difficult struggle and once committee chair Matheson had chosen a design, it was approved by Parliament but not before six months of scathing parlay. The Liberals were forced to bring the matter to a vote in order to invoke closure. It took 250 speeches to get the committee’s proposal to be endorsed by a vote of 163 to 78.
The final design chosen is the one of a single red maple leaf on a white background with one red vertical stripe on the left side and one red vertical stripe on the right side.
It was a difficult struggle and once committee chair Matheson had chosen a design, it was approved by Parliament but not before six months of scathing parlay. The Liberals were forced to bring the matter to a vote in order to invoke closure. It took 250 speeches to get the committee’s proposal to be endorsed by a vote of 163 to 78.
The final design chosen is the one of a single red maple leaf on a white background with one red vertical stripe on the left side and one red vertical stripe on the right side.