Canada 1960- 1969

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CANADA 1960- 1969

INTRODUCTION

• Change, change and more change

• Quebec- The Quiet Revolution- take control of its affairs away from English control

• 1960’s would create national focus on education, welfare and health

• 1961- Three Separatist groups within Canada existed

INTRODUCTION

• 1963- Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism

• 1969 Official Languages Act (PM Trudeau)

• Decade of social and political protest

• Nuclear tests and protests

• Hippies

• Vietnam War

INTRODUCTION

• US and Canadian Relations- decent- Auto Pact

• Canada pension Plan 1966

• Medicare 1968

• EI- 1969

• Social Insurance Cards 1964

• 1969- Change in Criminal Code – more liberal and open society

• 1967 World Expo

• 1967 French President Charles de Gaulle- “Vive le Quebec libre”

FOCUS: CANADIAN IDENTITY

• PM Mackenzie King- 1940’s- suggested that Canada should have a flag of its own

• 1920’s- 1940’s Red Ensign

• Veterans wanted to keep the Union Jack or another symbol of Britain

• Many Canadians however felt it was time to have a more modern identifiable flag, one not just for British ancestors but for the future of Canada

• Quebec

FOCUS: CANADIAN IDENTITY

• 1963 PM Lester B. Pearson (who won a Nobel peace prize)

• “settle the flag debate within two years”

• All Canadians could sketch and send in their ideas- a committee was also set up

• 1964 Diefenbaker (former PM) attacked Pearson’s idea

• Diefenbaker demanded a flag that respected the past and Pearson demanded a flag that looked forward that all Canadians could identify with

FOCUS: CANADIAN IDENTITY

• 5900 designs were submitted from 1963- 1964- a 15 member all party was created to examine and determine a choice

• See three finalists

• Historian George Stanley designed the final choice- single maple leaf with red bars on both sides

• *King George V- red and White were authorized as Canada’s official colours

FOCUS: CANADIAN IDENTITY

• Stanley’s reasons:- The first Canadiens used the Maple Leaf as an emblem

- Canadians had in the past up to the 60’s wore it as a symbol

- The maple leaf was on the coat of arms of Canada, Quebec and Ontario

- The maple leaf was not a symbol of any other country

- It stands out, even from a distance

- It avoids racial symbols which could be divisive

ACTIVITY

• See handout from “Creating Canada: A History 1914 to the Present” pg. 337