Re: “Celebrate our Maple Leaf on our Flag Day, Feb. 15,” letter, Jan. 20.
Although I always wear a Maple Leaf pin when I travel outside of Canada, except when I go to the U.S., where I wear an Ironworker’s pin (crossed U.S. and Canadian flags), I find it audacious to even mention the War of 1812-14 in the same letter as the flag as if they have equal importance.
If Canada had lost that war, there would be no Canada and you could celebrate the day you got a star on the U.S. flag when you became a state. I would be British or Australian, as my father would have never moved to Yankee land.
In 1964, prime minister Lester B. Pearson introduced the flag bill when he had a minority government. Opposition leader John G. Diefenbaker filibustered and the debate went on for six weeks. Leon Balcher, Quebec Conservative, and Réal Caouette, Social Credit, convinced Pearson to impose closure and he did. The Quebec Conservative and Créditistes voted with the Liberals and the flag bill passed 163 to 78, which makes me believe that a lot of MPs who were on the fence voted for it because it was very popular.
Wear it with pride as I do, but never degrade the brave fighters of the War of 1812-14 that made Canada possible.
Bert Tipton
Victoria
