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Canada's new flag almost didn't happen. Prime Minister Lester Pearson wanted it.
1965 Event

February 15

Canada Gets Its Maple Leaf Flag: Goodbye Union Jack

Canada's new flag almost didn't happen. Prime Minister Lester Pearson wanted it. Veterans hated it — they'd fought under the Red Ensign. Parliament debated for six months. The final vote was 163-78. It went up the pole on February 15, 1965. Within a decade, polls showed 90% approval. The same people who'd protested it couldn't imagine anything else. Symbols work backwards — you fight them, then forget you ever did.

February 15, 1965

61 years ago

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What Else Happened on February 15

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