From 1867 to today, Canada has had twenty-three prime ministers, each of whom helped build and improve Canada. An analysis of former prime ministers William Lyon Mackenzie King, Lester Bowles Pearson, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada during the WWII, the fifties and sixties, and contemporary Canada, respectively, shows that Canadians should be proud of their nation and the people who led and shaped Canada to what it is today. During WWII, the leader seen as the greatest Canadian prime minister by scholars and academics in Maclean’s surveys guided Canada through the turbulent time. William Lyon Mackenzie King made many accomplishments during his time as the longest-serving prime minister, from 1921-1926, 1926-1930, and 1935-1948, and …show more content…
He is remembered for his initiative and creative leadership from 1963-1968, strengthening and improving Canada. During his leadership, Pearson strengthened Canada’s social safety nets and implemented policies which improved the well-being of Canadians. In 1965, Pearson introduced the Canada Pension Plan, a public social plan for retirement. He had also adopted the public health care system, founded by Tommy Douglas in Saskatchewan, in 1968. People would pay a tax and when they needed health care, the costs would be paid by the taxes and government. Pearson established many other policies such as a minimum wage, the eight-hour workday, the forty-hour work week, and a mandatory minimum of two weeks paid vacation to full-time employees. These initiatives improved and strengthened Canada’s social services. Furthermore, Pearson is praised for adopting the Maple Leaf or l’Unifolie flag most Canadians take pride in. The Maple Leaf flag, designed by George Stanley, was introduced in 1965, two years before the one hundred year anniversary of Canada. The Maple Leaf flag replaced the Union flag. A new feeling of pride came along with the flag. About three-quarters of Canadians feel a sense of pride in Canada from displaying the Maple Leaf flag. Lester Pearson’s initiative and creative leadership brought a new flag along with a new sense of pride to Canada. Many Canadians feel united and proud under this
Tommy Douglas was Premier of Saskatchewan, first leader of the New Democratic Party, Baptist minister and a politician. Douglas was the 7th Premier of Saskatchewan by 1961 he resigned and lead the federal New Democratic Party (NDP). Despite his lost in the federal election of 1962, Douglas continued on creating programs that would better help others like pension plan, free healthcare and education and much more. Tommy Douglas is a significant person throughout the cold war was known for his as progressive social initiatives ability as a speaker that lead Canada to have free healthcare, to create the first socialist government which is the NDP and these factors indicate how important Tommy Douglas was throughout the cold war years. As this man
In 1965 Lester Pearson presented Canada 's new flag, in light of the fact that the Red Ensign was excessively British, making it impossible to be the image of advanced Canada. Numerous residents opposed for having another banner both for reasons of tradition and they were persuaded that Pearson was pressured into it and didn 't really need another banner. English Canadians needed to keep the Red Ensign yet on February 15, 1965, when Canada 's new banner was raised on Parliament Hill surprisingly, all that they were loaded with, was pride and affection. Pearson and the French Canadian needed another banner yet Diefenbaker and the Conservatives needed to keep the Red Ensign to demonstrate a tiny bit of British representation. So the Liberals
“Trudeaumania swept across Canada…for a few warm spring months in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau synthesized the dreams, achievements, and illusions of the liberation era.” (Fellows and Wells, 2013). Trudeau ran under the slogan of creating “the Just Society” (Fellows and Wells, 2013) in Canada, and unlike Diefenbaker, Trudeau would manage to achieve what he promised the public. While Trudeau was in office he managed to implement reforms that expanded welfare, enabled parliament to be more efficient, and established true universal healthcare in Canada (Fellows and Wells, 2013) . All of these changes and reform were things that others had promised previous to Trudeau but constantly failed to
It takes a lot of courage and manpower to run a country especially such a big one like Canada. William Mackenzie-King was born 1874, he served as prime minister from 1921-30 and 1935-48. Considering he served for twenty-three year and he served as the longest standing Canadian PM through the great depression and a world war, he made few mistakes mostly not recognizing and acting during the depression. William Lyon Mackenzie King was a semi-successful prime minister considering the economic and military conflict that was present in Canada at the time of his reign. He had a close friendship with the American prime minister, Franklin Roosevelt ultimately helping the Canadian and british war effort.
In 1967 the French President visited and advocated for Quebec’s separation from Canada. Lester Pearson shut it down and made it evident that the President was no longer welcome into Canada as he voiced those types of thoughts. The first race-free immigration system that Pearson instituted is still in effect today as it is so efficient. With immigration, the country’s population only grows as Canada can reap the benefits as this would mean more labor, tax-payers, creative ideas for inventions and more. (“Lester B. Pearson,” Canadian Content) When Lester B. Pearson earned and received the Nobel Peace Prize for all his help resolving the Suez Crisis conflict, it was then put on display at the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa to
From that day the National Anthem has this look of a sacred artifact that had evidently not been changed, however, some depictions in the song are going to be replaced and placed more conscientiously. This is significant to Canadian identity as this is our real national anthem appraising our beloved country, rather than a
The present Canadian flag was officially adopted on February 15, 1965, after years of discussions, inquiries, and design submissions. The simplicity, originality, and powerful representation of Canadian identity in the design by George F. G. Stanley and John Matheson led to its selection. To summarize, the Canadian flag controversy had a lasting impact on Canadain politics. It gave Canadians an opportunity to rethink their sense of nationality and declare their independence from the British Empire. It also affected the dynamics among political parties, influenced Canada's position in international affairs, and served as a guide for other nations seeking to create their own unique national
Pierre Trudeau was born October 18 1919, he was the son of a wealthy French Canadian businessman and a mother of Scottish decent, this abled him to speak both French and English. He attended multiple schools after graduating high school and went on to study at the Jesuit Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, Harvard, university of Montreal and the London School of Economics. Pierre was elected prime minister of Canada for the duration of 1968–79, after his turn ended in 79 he lost the next election to Joe Clark who was only in office for around a year. Pierre was then re elected from 1980–84 and is known for caring for the people.
In “Of hockey, Medicare and Canadian dreams”, Stephen J. Toope argues that Canada deserves to be celebrated for more than just hockey and Medicare, the most commonly associate emblems of the country, and instead to be directed by visionaries, and their decreased sense of humility. Additionally, Toope specifies that Canadians must confront their errors and understand their strengths, in order to further themselves as a strong country, and “grow up” (abstract). Over the many years of Canada’s existence, its citizens and base fundamentals have managed to solidify a society revolving around an openness to immigration, resulting in a rare evolution of a nation that is to be cherished. In relation, Toope expresses that it is a truism that many
Throughout our nations existence time and time again many brave Canadians have answered the call to fight for democracy and to rid the world of oppression. For the past two centuries, thousands of Canadians have earned enormous respect
Canada is now known to be a diverse, multicultural, bilingual and inclusive nation largely as a result of his work. Pierre Elliott Trudeau also believed in an equal Canada for all, he is primarily the one to introduce rights and freedoms to the citizens of Canada. While some view Pierre Trudeau as impulsive, for enforcing the War Measures Act, Trudeau enacted this for the protection of Canadian citizens against radical extremist and his actions were more rational than impulsive for the situation that had suddenly occurred. Pierre Trudeau was one of Canada’s greatest Prime Minister’s, who’s impact fundamentally changed the course of the nation by introducing multiculturalism, for introducing the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and for paradoxically upholding democracy by strong action during the October Crisis.
One of my theories is that they want to represent one of the Canadian economies in their banner that is the maple syrup. The maple tree not only produces maple syrup, but as well produces wood, which creates numerous jobs in the country and the opportunity to export to other states. Moreover, the maple leaf portrays the equality of the provinces, since it is found in each province. These help each province to feel a part of the Canadian flag and keep the peacefulness between those provinces. My other theory why the maple leaf is red and no other colour is because when the winter is almost coming the leaf become red.
Pearson was “a wonderful compromiser …he could bring together opposites” (Baldwin 31) which is what connects him and other great leaders together in leaving a great influence on their country. Then, there is the controversy between Diefenbaker and Pearson, which caused many doubts in Canadians towards Pearson’s choices/judgment. However, in the midst of those doubts Pearson managed to prove that he was the ideal leader for Canada by _____ ________________________________. In all, throughout Pearson’s political life despite the flaws and controversy, he indeed established unity in Canada by the skills he provided through the leadership we pay tribute to
Around the 1940s, he proposed the “Unemployment Insurance” and founded the reconstruction program to give more credits to the general population and solved their doubt of the occurrence of another depression. Families could receive an allowance to ease their burdens, and they would have a source of money to help them through future unemployment. King's policies gave the Canadian citizens a sense of security, and there was no more fear for the return of economic depression. Lastly, William Lyon Mackenzie King gave dual assurance to the French and English-speaking Canadians by promising them different policies on conscription in the proximate WWII and avoided the
Sir Wilfrid Laurier served as a member of Parliament for over forty years. He was the leader of the Liberal party from 1887 to 1919, and prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. His accomplishments were on such a scale that he is remembered today as one of Canada's greatest political leaders. When Laurier became prime minister, he took over a country that had been politically adrift since the death of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1891. Four prime ministers had followed Macdonald in quick succession.