LBPNotes

From BluWiki

This is MF's notes about Lester B. Pearson for a school project. Historical monologue.

First Site

http://www.primeministers.ca/peason/intro.php

April 22, 1963 - April 20, 1968

Liberal Party

Nobel Peace Prize in 1956 for handling the Suez Canal (As Foreign Affairs Minister)

Foreign Affairs Minister 1948-57

Not much of a campaigner

Never had a majority government P rogram worked in the 60's because of booming economy anyways an universal optimism

Program put a burden on the country, too optimistic

Could maybe have done a better job if he had been a tougher politician

Great Battles

Suez Canal/Peace Prize

Choice to resign

Bringing in the new National Flag or Anthem of Canada

A PDF About Suez Canal

http://www.digitalcommons.hil.unb.ca/dissertations/AAIMQ46245/

Site About Nobel PP Winners

http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1957/pearson-bio.html

Suez Canal - Made UN emergency force that let the invaders withdraw with minimal loss of face

Foreign policy based on internationalism

Brought in programs that had never had a chance yet: Pensions, Medicare, Government assistance for higher education...

Most acrimonious debate: Flag legislation

~PCs wanted to recognize traditions of the past

~Liberals wanted to move forward, eliminate historical symbols

A Book Source

Author: Pearson, Lester B.

Title: Words and occasions; an anthology of speeches and articles selected from his papers, by L. B. Pearson.

Published: [Cambridge, Mass.] Harvard University Press, 1970.

Description: xiv, 296 p. illus., ports. 24 cm.

LC Call No.: F1034.3.P4 A58

Dewey No.: 971.06/0924

ISBN: 0674956117

Subjects: Canada -- Politics and government -- 1945-1980 -- Addresses, essays, lectures.

Control No.: 70135191 //r84

Another Book

Author: Pearson, Lester B.

Title: Peace in the family of man [by] Lester Pearson.

Published: London, British Broadcasting Corporation, 1969.

Description: 104 p. 22 cm.

Series: The Reith Lectures, 1968

LC Call No.: JX1395 .P383

Dewey No.: 327

ISBN: 0563084499

Subjects: International relations. United Nations.

Control No.: 70427517

Basic Bio Site

http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/pearson.htm

Flag Selection Site

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/04/04240303_e.html

Many variations in flag designs:

The most common designs appear to be those containing a single maple leaf, those featuring three or more maple leaves, those with the Red Ensign and /or the Union Jack and those containing the fleur-de-lys.

Other designs wanted religion/religious designs, like Jesus, Cross, etc.

Or wildlife - Notably the beaver

Indian designs also prevalent

THing

February 1965. Lester B. Pearson thinks about the raising of the new flag ceremony in a few minutes.

Well, it’s finally here. Nine long months, but we’ve finally got an identity for Canada. A flag to call our own.

We’ve needed this for a long time. We’ve been apart from Britain for years now. We’ve governed ourselves without them watching over us. Our culture is expanding away from theirs. This flag, I think, is the last step.

At the Olympics, we’ll have a flag to run under, one that says “Canada”, not “A part of Britain”. You’ll be able to tell us apart from a British ship, because now our flags don’t look so darned similar. But I really hope I’ve done the right thing.

When I was working on the Suez Crisis, there was a huge potential for error. Small slips could have ruined the talks, and cost me a Nobel Prize. Yet somehow, that seems smaller in comparison. The flag issue is closer to home. If I screw this up, it’s not a backlash in the Middle East. It’s a backlash in Canada. Diefenbaker wasn’t happy about the new flag, and he can’t be the only one. The legions, the very elderly, lots of them will probably be unhappy. If a few of them don’t want a new flag, my approval will dip slightly. That’s okay; my time in parliament may be done soon anyways.

But what if everyone rejects the new flag? I could be ruined for life. I’ll carry the reputation for my whole life, and beyond, as the Prime Minister who screwed up our national identity, who gave us a flag that did nothing for Canada.

And is the design on the flag right? Public opinion has varied greatly – Some want religious symbols, others want to keep the Union Jack somewhere on it, others want a solid colour. Some want tribal designs; others want the beaver front and center.

I think, though, that this is the right thing. Canadians have been wearing the maple leaf internationally for quite some time now, and it should go over well. I even like this specific design. It’s fairly simple. It’s easy to draw, something that can’t be said about our old flag or the American one. It stands out. It’s not a European flag of three stripes that you can’t remember the country of. Best of all, the whole thing says “Canada” very clearly.

It’s a new era for Canada. We’ll finally be seen internationally as our own, not part of the Commonwealth. We’ll have a flag we can relate to more easily. A flag that we can be proud of, not feel shame about – I know some Canadians feel that way about our current one. When people see our flag, they’ll think “Canada.” That’s what I want. A strong national identity. I wish we could’ve fixed the lyrics to “O Canada”, but some things will have to wait.

Time to go raise the final thing that makes us all Canadian.