Lester B Pearson Research Paper

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Lester B. Pearson The Earth is an extremely diverse planet, but have you ever wondered about where the most multicultural cities in the world are located? Toronto is ranked among the most multicultural cities in the world (Morfin). Around the globe, Canada is thought of for its diversity, and bilingualism. All of these have been achieved because of Lester B. Pearson, Canada’s Prime Minister from 1963-1968 (Bothwell). In fact, Pearson airport, Canada’s largest airport, has been named after him. Pearson had contributed so much to Canada, as he reviewed old policies and created new ones. He played huge roles in peacekeeping missions, and was critical to the creation of Canada’s national flag (Bothwell). Lester B. Pearson proved to be an …show more content…

A flag that many years later, people from around the world would recognize, and carry with them. However, the flag was not an easy job to accomplish. Some citizens wanted it to have a connection to Britain, while many others wanted it to show that Canada was independent, moving away from its colonial past (Vachon, Matheson). The flag was chosen after six months of debate (Vachon, Matheson). Pearson had said,
As the symbol of a new chapter in our national story, our Maple Leaf Flag will become a symbol of that unity in our country without which one cannot grow in strength and purpose; the unity that encourages the equal partnership of two peoples on which this Confederation was founded; the unity also that recognizes the contributions and the cultures of many other races. (“Address on the inauguration of the national flag of Canada, February 15, …show more content…

Although many citizens had been pleased with the flag, there was some opposition towards it. The official leader of opposition, Diefenbaker, said "You have done more to divide the country than any other prime minister” (“The Great Flag Debate”). There were many critics that opposed Pearson, but he did do the right thing. He chose a flag that identified Canada’s independence. This was a step closer to Canada gaining its own identity in the world. The honourable Prime Minister did so much to gain Canada a national identity, but he also did even more for the