On February 15, 1965, 10,000 people gathered on Parliament Hill. They were there, in the shadow of the Peace Tower, to watch the raising of Canada’s new flag.
At noon, amidst a muffled 21-gun salute, a gust of wind gave the flag “the first flutter of life,” Peter C. Newman observed. “If our nation by God’s grace endures a thousand years, this day will always be remembered as a milestone in Canada’s national progress,” said Lester Pearson, the prime minister.
Pearson managed a smile from his flu-ridden body before returning to bed. John Diefenbaker, who had fought the flag as opposition leader, …read more
Source: Ottawa Citizen
