Isla S.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

Prime Minister Pearson's vision was to give Canada it's own flag before it's 100th birthday! He wanted it's design to include an emblem that was distinctly Canadian. To do this he created a flag committee and as well asked all Canadians everywhere to help out by sending in their ideas! Most of our designs had maple leaves on them, and today thousands of the submissions remain in the National Archives of Canada!

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

Finding the right red for our flag was tricky! We didn't want it to be the same red as the Union Jack, or the red of the American flag! It took over a month of doing colour experiments to find the right red for Canada! And did you know, because of it's strong ties to Canada's history, it is the SUGAR maple leaf that was chosen?

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

I believe that because of the effort and determination of the men and women that contributed to the creation of Canada's flag 52 years ago our country has a unity and a pride that perhaps we might not have shared otherwise. I love how our country comes together during the Olympics and how other countries easily identify our soldiers because of the maple leaf that is visible on the sleeves of their uniforms. I think this new flag brought our country together, and for that I think we should all be grateful!