W. L. Mackenzie King and war on Germany, September 1939

After Adolph Hitler came to power in 1933, he rearmed Germany and pursued an aggressive foreign policy which saw him annex both Austria and then the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in 1938. Initially, Canada’s Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King supported British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in his decision to sacrifice Czechoslovakia by appeasing Hitler. But... Continue Reading →

Lester Pearson raises Maple Leaf flag, February 15, 1965

On a cold February day 1965, Canada’s new maple leaf flag rose above the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill for the first time. The so-called Great Flag Debate had been long and acrimonious. Now, Prime Minister Lester Pearson made a brief speech. His political adversary John Diefenbaker, seated nearby, used a handkerchief to dab a tear from his eye.

John A. Macdonald, yes to Confederation, 1865

In 1864, the colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland planned to meet in Charlottetown to investigate a union among the British Maritime colonies. John A Macdonald and other representatives from Upper and Lower Canada invited themselves to the meeting and arrived by steamship. They proposed a wider union which would include... Continue Reading →

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