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For those of you into Canadian History - Printable Version

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For those of you into Canadian History - Stephen Dame - 07-28-2004

I got a nice surprise this morning.... an original Pearson Pennant!

I'm told there are less than 1000 of the things left, and my Grandmother apparently had one tucked away in her basement for forty years.

This flag was all set to become our national flag in 1964, with the full support of PM Pearson (Hence the nickname) before George Stanley's Maple Leaf design was chosen instead during the infamous late night flag committee meeting in October '64. (According to John Turner: the flag wasn't the only thing "a few sheets to the wind" that night! Smile )

Pearson liked the thing so much, he flew it on Parliament Hill and at Harrington Lake (The PM's Summer home) and had 2,500 of them sent to schools across Canada. My Grandmother lived in an old vintage school house, and it appears she was sent one by mistake.

Anyway, it made my day!



[Image: ca!1964p.gif]

- clearlyentranced - 07-28-2004

That's really cool.

- dyersbay - 07-28-2004

That's super ccol! It must be worth a pretty penny! :thumb:

- Stephen Dame - 07-28-2004

Yeah, I thought so.

And just as an aside: It was defeated in committee because the two blue stripes are supossed to represent the Oceans (Only problem being that Canada touches three Oceans...) Canada's official colours since 1937 had been Red and White, and it was thought that the three leaves would come to represent "French," "English," and "Everybody Else." A single leaf with 12 points was thought better.

When it came time to vote, the Conservative members figured that the Liberals would all vote for Pearson's flag, so they all decided to vote for the single Maple Leaf. (There was a Diefenbaker Pennant, but it was so ugly that even the Conservatives wouldn't vote for it Smile ) An NDP member got wind of this, went to the Liberals, pointed out the flaws above in Pearson's flag and said: "Look, if you guys vote for the single Leaf, we'll do it too, that'll surprise the Tories, plus we'll be able to say that we "unanimously" chose a national flag, whattya say?"

And the rest, as they say...

Isn't political history fun kiddies? Smile

- direwolf74 - 07-28-2004

Martin Tielli of the Rheostatics has that flag painted on his double-neck guitar. Check it out:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JAK0.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg">http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000 ... ZZZZZZ.jpg</a><!-- m -->

- Stephen Dame - 07-28-2004

direwolf74 Wrote:Martin Tielli of the Rheostatics has that flag painted on his double-neck guitar. Check it out:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JAK0.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg">http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000 ... ZZZZZZ.jpg</a><!-- m -->

I kid you not: Coolest. Guitar. Ever.

- direwolf74 - 07-28-2004

Stephen Dame Wrote:
direwolf74 Wrote:Martin Tielli of the Rheostatics has that flag painted on his double-neck guitar. Check it out:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JAK0.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg">http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000 ... ZZZZZZ.jpg</a><!-- m -->

I kid you not: Coolest. Guitar. Ever.


It most certainly is.

- Stephen Dame - 07-28-2004

Here's the flag we had before the Maple Leaf for those interested:

[Image: flag_red_ensign.gif]

BTW, Did anybody ever see the Rheo's live when that flag guitar was used?

- Hairbird - 07-28-2004

Stephen Dame Wrote:Here's the flag we had before the Maple Leaf for those interested:

[Image: flag_red_ensign.gif]

BTW, Did anybody ever see the Rheo's live when that flag guitar was used?

I've seen the Rheo's twice. Once at the Horseshoe for one of the Fall National shows about 2 or 3 years ago. I also saw them a few months ago at Lee's Palace. On both occasion Martin used that guitar on certain songs. I've also got their DVD, "Maple Serum", and I'm pretty sure (without actually checking) that it is featured at some point.

- Stephen Dame - 07-29-2004

Hairbird Wrote:
Stephen Dame Wrote:Here's the flag we had before the Maple Leaf for those interested:

[Image: flag_red_ensign.gif]

BTW, Did anybody ever see the Rheo's live when that flag guitar was used?

I've seen the Rheo's twice. Once at the Horseshoe for one of the Fall National shows about 2 or 3 years ago. I also saw them a few months ago at Lee's Palace. On both occasion Martin used that guitar on certain songs. I've also got their DVD, "Maple Serum", and I'm pretty sure (without actually checking) that it is featured at some point.

Great, thanks Hairbird. I'm looking for a video clip of it, and that'll really help.

- HomesickAlien - 07-30-2004

That Pearson Flag is a cool ass flag. It's reminiscent of our current flag and the London "Underground" symbol. It also kinda looks like a Marijuana branch. Don't pot branches have 3 shorter branches stemming from the first like that? Wink

- Summiteer - 07-30-2004

HomesickAlien Wrote:That Pearson Flag is a cool ass flag. It's reminiscent of our current flag and the London "Underground" symbol. It also kinda looks like a Marijuana branch. Don't pot branches have 3 shorter branches stemming from the first like that? Wink

Yop, but the leaf has about 6-8 total branchez, if your thinkin of that alll too familiar picture of the leaf.....