Impact on Canadian history
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Political conflict |
Flag Debate, the debate over the proposed new Canadian flag which opened in the House of Commons 15 June 1964 and ended by closure 15 December 1964. Canada's official flag from 1867 had been Britain's Union Flag, although the Red Ensign with the Canadian badge was regularly flown for qualified purposes. In 1925 Prime Minister Mackenzie King appointed an armed services committee to investigate possible designs, but it did not report. In 1946 a committee of both Senate and Commons presented a design with the Red Ensign charged with a golden maple leaf but it was not adopted. The issue was raised again by Lester Pearson, as leader of the Opposition in 1960 and as prime minister in 1963. John Matheson MP sought strict adherence to the colours, red and white, and the maple leaf emblem authorized by George V on 21 November 1921 as advocated by A. Fortescue Duguid. Alan B. Beddoe added two blue bars to what became known as the "Pearson pennant." This proposal for design, three maple leaves on a white centre square with blue bars on each side, was introduced to Parliament in June 1964.
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Importance of the flag |
“Canada getting its own flag was important because it showed Canada was independent as a country and affected Canada by showing it’s separation from Britain.”
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