In 1964, Liberal Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson formed a committee to resolve the issue, sparking a serious debate about a flag change. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design by George Stanley,[4] based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, was selected. The flag made its first official appearance on February 15, 1965; the date is now celebrated annually as National Flag of Canada Day.
National Flag of Canada Day was instituted in 1996 by an Order in Council from Governor General Roméo LeBlanc, on the initiative of Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. In 2010, on the flag's 45th anniversary, federal ceremonies were held to mark Flag Day at Winnipeg, St. John's, Ottawa, and at Whistler and Vancouver in conjunction with the XXI Olympic Winter Games. In 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper observed Flag Day by presenting two citizens, whose work honoured the military, with Canadian flags which had flown over the Peace Tower. It was announced as inaugurating an annual recognition of patriotism.
In 1990 on the 25th birthday, Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney spoke glowingly of the Maple Leaf as he presided over a Parliament Hill ceremony attended by hundreds of schoolchildren.
There has been no official word from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s media spin office about his plans to mark the 50th birthday on Sunday. Gov. Gen. David Johnston will preside over an Ottawa ceremony and unveil a commemorative coin and stamp.
Let us all remember how far we have come in those 50 years and for once be proudly nationalistic even if the Harper Regime does not honour our flag or our democracy and would sooner celebrate war and divisiveness.
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4 comments:
Unfortunately, Rural, the Harperites believe there are two kinds of history -- Conservative history and Liberal history.
And they are doing their best to bury Liberal history.
I think Harper would like to see, the flag that he so tightly wraps himself in, with a union jack rather then a maple leaf. Implicit in honoring the flag is honoring the country it represents, Canada. What kind of PM and his regime refuse to celebrate the flag of our country? A PM and his regime who would like to see Canada still under British rule. Yes Rural, let's celebrate flag day with pride and respect for the man who made having our own flag possible Lester Pearson.
And a large part of their own recent history, Owen!
As an ex-Brit I would not sully the Union Jack by letting it any where near Harper, Pamela!
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