Pearson had vivid memories of the 1956,This incident made a lasting impression on Pearson.

The maple leaf had been a national symbol since at least 1868, and its red colour has been described as a symbol of Canadian sacrifice during World War I. Pearson’s original flag proposal showed three red maple leaves on a white field with narrow blue vertical stripes at either end. ).As the issue of a new national flag for Canada was raised anew in 1964, all the usual difficulties involved in choosing a suitable design resurfaced. Many French Canadians viewed the Union Jack — which is featured on the Canadian Red Ensign — as a symbol of colonialism, representing France’s defeat at the hands of the British on the,Although the Canadian Red Ensign contained other symbols in addition to the Union Jack — including the French fleur-de-lis — French Canadians still rejected it. The Prime Minister let the issue drop without bringing it to a vote in Parliament.Well over a decade later, during the 1963 federal election campaign, Liberal leader,From the outset, Pearson rejected following the route of many other Commonwealth countries whose flags included the Union Jack to represent their ties to Britain. Saint-Cyr immediately set about modifying his design, and within an hour he had a finished sketch that all three men approved. Several designs included aboriginal symbols. Two months later, on the morning of 15 February 1965, the Red Ensign was officially lowered for the last time from a special flagstaff erected in front of the Peace Tower on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, and then, on the stroke of noon, the red-white-red rectangle with a maple leaf was raised in its place. For another, the maple leaf is red, one of Canada’s national colours (the other is white). The maple leaf is distinctly Canadian. The North Star was a popular emblem, as was the cross. Their reaction was indicative of what was to come. From the time before European settlers stepped foot on Canadian soil, the native peoples realized that the sap from the maple tree could be used for food and other necessities. And those who weren’t around for the Canadian flag debate of the mid-1960s may find it difficult to believe how controversial the adoption of this seemingly innocuous flag truly was; how contentious and divisive a move it was for Prime Minister Lester Pearson to stand before a Royal Canadian Legion convention in May 1964 and say: “I believe most sincerely that it is now time for Canadians to unfurl a flag that is truly distinctive and truly national in character; as Canadian as the maple leaf which should be its dominant design, a flag easily identifiable as Canada’s; a flag which cannot be mistaken for the emblem of any other country; a flag of the future which honours also the past; Canada’s own and only Canada’s.”.At the time of Confederation in 1867, Canada’s official flag was the Royal Union flag, commonly known as the Union Jack. Whether you’re studying times tables or applying to college,© 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Since Confederation, the.The Union Jack represents the political union of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Apart from being regularly skinned for profit, it is most noted for its engineering prowess. Stunning and spectacular at national sporting events, the flag of Canada has a storied past that makes its presence at public buildings, homes and schoolyards an honor.Originally, the Canadian Red Ensign was used as the official flag from the 1890s until 1945. The Canadian flag is a red field with a centered white square that holds a perfectly formed maple leaf. The Committee's makeup was designed to ensure regional representation and include a mix of English and French speakers. Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language.