Callsig n

Frequency Band Branding Notes

Consortium of Toronto Master FM broadcasters for Digital audio

broadcasting

CFMJ 640 kHz AM

CFMX 96.3 MHz FM CFNY 102.1 MHz FM CFRB 1010 kHz AM

CFTR 680 kHz AM

CHFI 98.1 MHz FM

AM640 Toronto Radio

Classical 96 102.1 The Edge Newstalk 1010 680 News

98.1 CHFI

CHIN 100.7 MHz FM

CHIN 1540 kHz AM

CHIN Radio

CHIN Radio

Primarily in Italian and Portuguese

Primarily in Italian and Cantonese

CHUM 104.5 MHz FM CHUM 1050 kHz AM CHWO 740 kHz AM

CIAO 530 kHz AM

104.5 Chum fm 1050 chum Prime Time Radio

AM 530 Broadcasts from Brampton, Multicultural RadioOntario

CIRC 1610 kHz AM --

Proposed sister station of CIRV-FM

CILQ 107.1 MHz FM CKFM 99.9 MHz FM CJAQ 92.5 MHz FM

CJCL 590 kHz AM

CJEZ 97.3 MHz FM

Q107 Mix FM

92.5 Jack fm The Fan 590

EZ Rock 97.3

CJMR 1320 kHz AM --

Ethnic Chinese Christian radio in Mississauga, Ontario

CJRT 91.1 MHz FM JAZZ.FM91

Cellular and paging providers

· Bell Mobility

· Rogers Wireless · Motorola

Communications

· Bell Canada

· Toronto Transit Commission

· Amateur radio repeaters "2-Tango" (2 meter VHF) and "4-Tango" (440/70 cm UHF) – owned and operated by the Toronto FM Communications Society, under callsign VE3TWR.

Facts and figures

The CN Tower, as seen from Trinity Bellwoods Park on the west side of Toronto

A bolt of lightning strikes the CN Tower

· The CN Tower is 13 metres taller than Moscow's Ostankino Tower, is almost twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower, and is the tallest member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

· The CN Tower is struck by lightning over 78 times a year. · One person died during the building of the CN Tower.

· The CN Tower has a wind tolerance level of 420 km/h (260 mph).

· The elevators ascend and descend at over 22 km/h (15 mph), taking 58 seconds to reach the Lookout (indoor observation deck) and 61 seconds to reach the 360 restaurant levels respectively.

· The Glass Floor can withstand 4,100 kPa (600 lbs/sq in).

· In winds of 120 mph the tower sways 1.07 m (3½ ft) from centre at the Antenna, 0.46 m (1½ ft) from centre at the Space Deck, and 22.9 cm (9 inches) from centre at the Sky Pod.

· The CN Tower has a mass of 117,910 metric tonnes (a weight of 130,000 tons), and was built using 40,524 m³ (53,000 cu. yd.) of concrete, enough to build a sidewalk from Toronto to Kingston, Ontario, about 250 km (155.3 mi) away.

· A Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter nicknamed 'Olga' was used to lower the communications antenna into place on the tower. The helicopter was piloted by Larry Pravecek.

· The CN Tower is designed to withstand an earthquake of 8.5 on the Richter Scale.

· In 1979, Norman Alexander and Joe Squire hauled a 440 lb. piano up the stairs in 7½ hours.

· On July 23, 1999, Ashrita Furman became the fastest person to go up the CN Tower using a pogo stick.

· In 2001, a group of environmentalists illegally scaled the outside of the Tower, in order to place a banner protesting the policies of United States President George W. Bush.

· The tower is the only landmark from Canada that appears in the city-building/simulation computer games SimCity 3000 and SimCity 4.

· The CN Tower was included in the Namco pilot simulation game Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. The tower rests in a fictional metropolitan area named November City.

· The tower is occasionally mistaken by some for the Seattle Space Needle, due to their similar appearances. While filming in Toronto, American talk show host Conan O'Brien staged a mock fight on his show between two men costumed as the respective towers.

· The CN Tower can be accidentally seen numerous times during scenes in the Police Academy series.

· The CN Tower celebrated 30 years as the world's tallest freestanding tower on June 26, 2006.

· The tower was featured in the 1995 film Canadian Bacon.

· A segment of "Weird Al" Yankovic's live concerts contained a short video mockumentary about why it is inadvisable to throw bananas from the top of the CN Tower.

· The song "The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead" by Owen Pallett makes obvious reference to the Tower.

· The CN Tower was featured on the front cover of the 1996 Guinness Book of World Records.

· The CN Tower is featured in the music video of Another Postcard, a song on the 2003 Everything to Everyone album by the Barenaked Ladies.

· In April 2006, Braden Fox, a Humber College firefighting student climbed the stairs in full turnout gear to raise money for the World Wide Fund for

Nature (WWF). His time of 20 minutes 43 seconds beat the previous record for such a feat by over two full minutes.

· The CN tower can be seen easily on a clear day from the other side of Lake Ontario at Niagara on the Lake.

ANNOTATIONS

Comprehension Check Exercises

I. Fill in the blank with the correct word:

1. A Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter nicknamed 'Olga' was used to lower the communications antenna into ¼ .

2. The CN Tower was featured on the front cover of the 1996 ¼ .

3. The CN Tower is designed to withstand an earthquake of ¼ on the Richter Scale.

4. Several rivals have been proposed and most schemes ¼ .

5. The CN Tower is almost twice as tall as ¼ .

II. Find out whether the statement is true or false according to the information in the text:

1. In 1995, the CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

2. The CN Tower has been and continues to be used as a communications tower.

3. The Guinness Book of World Records officially states the CN Tower as World's Tallest Building and Free-Standing Structure.

4. The CN Tower is 13 metres taller than Moscow's Ostankino Tower, is almost twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower, and is the tallest member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

5. The CN Tower can be accidentally seen numerous times during scenes in the Police Academy series.

III. Questions:

1. Name the main TV broadcasters.

2. How many times a year is the CN Tower struck by a lightning?

3. When did the CN Tower celebrate 30 years as the world's tallest freestanding tower?

Culture of Canada

The culture of Canada, as a product of a North American developed nation, shares many common cultural roots with the United States. While the two countries share some aspects of a common cultural heritage, there is also a separately identifiable Canadian culture. Some distinctions of this culture are the greater integration of Native influences, the retention of traditions descended from those of French settlers, and a notable infusion of Celtic elements.

Occasionally, the distinctions of these elements in Canada is disputed as a separate culture. One matter of contention in the effort to study Canadian culture rests in the fact of Canada's bilingualism; there is little reason to question the distinct identities of the English-speaking and French-speaking peoples of Canada. However, John Ralston Saul conjectures that Gabrielle Roy is better known in anglophone Canada than in France, and more French-Canadians know of Margaret Laurence and Atom Egoyan than Americans.

Another object of contention when defining Canadian culture is multiculturalism, which many Canadians value. As with the United States, it may be argued that there is no single "Canadian" or "American" culture save for the very diversity itself, making it difficult to speak of concrete cultural distinctions between the two countries in general, which would imply truly national and relatively homogenous characteristics that are more common to smaller, unitary nation-states. Canadian culture has been greatly influenced by more recent immigration of people from all over the world. Indeed, some see Canadian culture as being inherently multicultural.

Canadian theatre

Canada has a thriving stage theatre scene, especially in Southern Ontario and in Quebec. Theatre festivals draw many tourists in the summer months, especially the Stratford Festival of Canada in Stratford, Ontario, and the Shaw Festival in Niagara On The Lake, Ontario. The Famous People Players are only one of many touring companies that have also developed an international reputation. Canada also boasts the world's second largest live theatre festival, the Edmonton Fringe Festival.

Film and television

The Canadian film market was dominated by the American film industry for decades, although that film industry has since inception seen a prominent role for actors, directors, producers and technicians of Canadian origin. In the 1960s Michel Brault, Pierre Perrault, Gilles Groulx, Jean-Pierre Lefebvre, Arthur Lamothe, Claude Jutra and other filmmakers from Quebec began to challenge Hollywood by making innovative and politically relevant documentary and feature films. Among the important English-speaking filmmakers from this period are Allan King, Norman Jewison and Robin Spry. Michael Snow continues to be one of the most respected experimental film makers in the world. Norman Jewison received an Irving Thalberg Academy Award in recognition for his lifetime achievement in film in 1999.

Canada has developed a vigorous film industry that has produced a variety of well-known films, actors, and auteurs. In fact, this eclipsing may sometimes be creditable for the rather bizarre and quite innovative directions of the works of such auteurs as Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter, 1997) and David Cronenberg (The Fly, Naked Lunch, A History of Violence). Also, the distinct French-Canadian society permits the work of directors such as Denys Arcand and Denis Villeneuve. However given Canada's small population and perhaps, because of the closeness of the giant American TV and film industries, distinctively Canadian productions such as those in the TIFF List of Canada's Top Ten Films of All Time are relatively thin on the ground, compared with the situations in the United Kingdom. However, Lion's Gates Films and Alliance Atlantis are two film production companies headquartered in Canada which have grown large enough to compete with larger American productions down south. In addition, because of the intricate relationship between the American and Canadian film industry, numerous films such as David Cronenberg's A History of Violence (2005) are often credited as both Canadian films by Canadian publications and as American films by American publications due to differing definitions of what constitutes a Canadian or American film by each country.

A number of Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood significantly contributed to the creation of the motion picture industry in the early days of the 20th century. Over the years, many Canadians have made enormous contributions to the American entertainment industry, although they are frequently not recognized as Canadians.

Canada's film industry is in full expansion as a site for Hollywood productions. The series The X-Files was famously shot in Vancouver as is Stargate SG-1, the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, and The Outer Limits. The American Queer as Folk is filmed in Toronto. Since the 1980s, Canada, and Vancouver in particular, has become known as Hollywood North. As with its southern counterpart in California, USA, many Canadians are employed in the film industry, and celebrity-spotting is frequent throughout many Canadian cities. Montreal, due to its European appearance, has served in a great variety of mainstream movies, attracting the loyalty of industry people such as Bruce Willis; there are plans to

build the world's biggest film studio on the outskirts of the city. The choice of location is allegedly due to cost, rather than a requirement for a 'Canadian atmosphere'. The frequent question of a Canadian, seeing a film crew on his or her local streets, is 'Which bit of the States are we pretending to be today?'.

Canadian television, especially supported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, is the home of a variety of locally-produced shows. French-language television, like French Canadian film, is buffered from excessive American influence by the fact of language, and likewise supports a host of home-grown productions. The relative success of French-language domestic television and movies in Canada often exceeds that of its English-language counterpart.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's Canadian content regulations dictate that a certain percentage of a domestic broadcaster's transmission time must include content that is produced by Canadians, or covers Canadian subjects. This also applies to US cable television channels such as MTV and the Discovery Channel, which have local versions of their channels available on Canadian cable networks. Similarly, BBC Canada, while primarily showing BBC shows from the UK, also carries Canadian output.

National Film Board of Canada, is 'a public agency that produces and distributes films and other audiovisual works which reflect Canada to Canadians and the rest of the world'. The agency helped to pioneer the concept of the documentary.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is considered by many to be one of the most prevalent film festivals for Western cinema.

Canada has produced many film and television stars, newscasters, directors and producers including: Pamela Anderson, Brent Butt, Jim Carrey, Roy Dupuis, Michael J. Fox, Lorne Greene, Peter Jennings, Norman Jewison, Eugene Levy, Lorne Michaels, Rick Moranis, Mike Myers, Keanu Reeves, William Shatner, Martin Short, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Hayden Christensen, Jessica Tandy, Alan Thicke, Rachel McAdams and Alex Trebek.

In addition, many popular political documentaries such as Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent, The Corporation and Bowling for Columbine involved Canadian production and funding. Some of other more notable documentaries include: Nanook of the North, Final Offer (film), and Canada: A People's History.

ANNOTATIONS

сonjecture – предположение, contention – разногласие, thriving industry – бурно развивающаяся промышленность, inception – начало, vigorous – сильный, решительный, eclipsing – затмевающий, creditable – заслуживающий доверия, bizarre – эксцентричный, странный, intricate – запутанный, сложный

Comprehension Check Exercises

I. Fill in the blank with the correct word:

1. The Canadian film market was dominated by ¼ for decades.

2. Among the important English-speaking filmmakers from this period are Allan King, Norman Jewison and ¼ .

3. Canada has a thriving stage ¼ , especially in Southern Ontario and in Quebec.

4. Canada has produced many film and television stars, newscasters, directors and producers including: Pamela Anderson, ¼ .

5. National Film Board of Canada, is 'a public agency that ¼ .

6. Many popular political documentaries such as Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent, The Corporation and Bowling for Columbine involved ¼ .

II. Find out whether the statement is true or false according to the information in the text:

1. The culture of Canada is a product of a North American developed nation.

2. Many Canadians value multiculturalism.

3. David Cronenberg's A History of Violence is often credited as an American film by Canadian publications.

III. Questions:

1. What country shares with Canada some aspects of a common cultural heritage?

2. Who is one of the most respected experimental filmmakers in the world?

3. What film production companies have grown large enough to compete with larger American productions?

4. What is one of the most prevalent film festivals for Western cinema?

IV. Do you remember?

1. What is the name of the world's second largest live theatre festival?

2. Who received an Irving Thalberg Academy Award in recognition for the lifetime achievement in film in 1999?

Comedy

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is noted for political satire such as This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Rick Mercer Report, and Royal Canadian Air Farce.

Canada has produced many eminent national humorists. The Kids in the Hall were a popular Canadian sketch group. Also the Second City Television show originated in the Toronto Second City operation, which produced many comedians that went on to success worldwide, including John Candy, Rick Moranis, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Catherine O'Hara, and others. The team of creators for SCTV, including Lorne Michaels, were later transplanted in New York City to create Saturday Night Live.

Other notable Canadian comics and comedy groups include Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Martin Short, Tom Green, Dan Aykroyd, Leslie Nielsen, CODCO (the precursors to This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Maggie Cassella, and Elvira Kurt. The Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal is the world's largest comedy festival.

Canadian humour is often described as being not as 'punchline-friendly' as its American counterpart, but not as 'off-the-wall' as its UK counterpart.

Music

Canada has developed its own brands of traditional music, including the French, Irish and Scottish-derived Cape Breton fiddle music of the Maritimes, the Franco-Celtic styles of Quebec that often include foot percussion and a scat style called turlutte, and other national styles from the Ottawa Valley to the west. Noted proponents are Buddy MacMaster and his niece Natalie of Cape Breton, and Madame Bolduc of Quebec, whose recordings in the 1930s lifted her people through depressing times.

The Canadian music industry has been helped by government regulation designed to protect and encourage the growth of distinct Canadian culture. The Canadian Content (CANCON) regulations force all radio stations in Canada to play at least 35% Canadian music. This has enabled Canadian artists to garner success on the airwaves which were once dominated by American and European acts. Now it is common to hear several Canadian songs on the radio every hour you listen.

In the realm of popular music, Canada has produced a variety of internationally successful performers, including (alphabetically): Bryan Adams, Paul Anka, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The Band, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Paul Brandt, Broken Social Scene, Michael Bublé, Terri Clark, Bruce Cockburn, Leonard Cohen, Stompin' Tom Conners, Cowboy Junkies, Céline Dion, D.O.A., Front Line Assembly, Nelly Furtado, Matthew Good, Glenn Gould, Robert Goulet,

Great Big Sea, Guess Who, Ronnie Hawkins, k-os, Diana Krall, k.d. Lang, Avril Lavigne, Félix Leclerc, Gordon Lightfoot, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morissette, Anne Murray, Oscar Peterson, Rush, Hank Snow, Steppenwolf,Silverstein, David Clayton Thomas, The Tragically Hip, Trooper, Shania Twain, Gilles Vigneault, Rufus Wainwright and Neil Young.

ANNOTATIONS

punchline – кульминационный, off-the wall – из ряда вон выходящий, percussion – стук, scat - набор звуков

Comprehension Check Exercises

I. Fill in the blank with the correct word:

1. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is noted for political satire such as ¼ .

2. ¼ were a popular Canadian sketch group.

3. Canadian humour is often described as ¼ .

4. The Canadian music industry has been helped by government regulation designed to protect and encourage ¼ .

5. In the realm of popular music, Canada has produced a variety of internationally successful performers, including ¼ .

II. Find out whether the statement is true or false according to the information in the text:

1. Canada has not any national humorists.

2. The Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal is the world's largest comedy festival.

3. Canadian humour is often described as being not as 'punchline-friendly' as its American counterpart, but not as 'off-the-wall' as its UK counterpart.

4. Now it is common to hear several Canadian songs on the radio every hour you listen.

III. Questions:

1. What national styles of music can you name?

2. What has enabled Canadian artists to garner success on the airwaves?

Symbols

Official symbols of Canada include the maple leaf, beaver, and common loon. Many official symbols of the country such as the Flag of Canada have been changed or modified over the past few decades in order to 'Canadianize' them and de-emphasise or remove references to the United Kingdom. Symbols of the monarchy in Canada continue to be featured in, for example, the Coat of Arms of Canada and armed forces Her Majesty's Canadian Ship. The designation 'Royal' remains for institutions as varied as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, though with the 1968 unification of the three armed forces into the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy ceased to exist. However, certain Canadian Forces Land Force Command (army) units carry "Royal" titles, Canadian Forces Maritime Command vessels are still styled "HMCS" and Canadian Forces Air Command squadrons still use a Royal Air Force-derived badge surmounted by the Queen's Crown as their official crests.

Aboriginal influences

There were, and are, many distinct Aboriginal peoples across Canada, each with its own culture, beliefs, values, language, and history. Much of this legacy remains celebrated artistically, and in other ways, in Canada to this day. Part of the emblem of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics is an inukshuk, a stack of rocks in human form that is a part of Inuit culture, although this is seen as inapproprite by many Vancouverites.

Multicultural Elements

Multiculturalism is contributing and shaping Canadian culture, which is post-ethnic and trans-national in character.

Flag of Canada

Flag of Canada

The National Flag of Canada, popularly known as the Maple Leaf and l'Unifolié (French for "the one-leaved"), is a base red flag with a white square in its centre featuring a stylized, 11-pointed, red maple leaf. Before this flag, Canada used variants of the British Red Ensign with the shield of Canada charged in the fly. The Red Ensign that took familiar shape in Canada was introduced by Prime Minister Mackenzie King after the First World War. From the 1940s until 1965, Canada made several attempts to create its own flag by holding national contests, but the Red Ensign still flew for Canada. A serious debate about a flag change did not

occur until 1964, when a committee was picked by Prime Minister Lester B.

Pearson. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design by George F.G. Stanley was chosen as the winner. The current flag was adopted in 1964. The flag made its first appearance on February 15, 1965, which is now celebrated yearly as Flag Day.

Other than the Maple Leaf flag, several other flags have been created to be used by Canadian officials, government bodies and military forces. Most of these flags contain the Maple Leaf motif in some fashion; either by having the Canadian flag charged in the canton or by inclusion of maple leaves in the design.

The Royal Union Flag is also an official flag in Canada, used as a symbol of Canada's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations and of her allegiance to the Crown. The Royal Union Flag forms a component of the flags of several provinces. In Quebec, the provincial flag (a blue cross with four fleur-de-lys) is often considered a national flag along with the Maple Leaf flag, as is the Acadian flag in the Acadian regions of the Maritime provinces.

Design

The Canadian flag flying at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, located at Halifax, Nova Scotia

The current flag of Canada was approved by the House of Commons on December 15, 1964 and by the Senate two days later. The flag was later approved by Queen

Elizabeth II, the Queen of Canada, an order which took effect on February 15, 1965.^[3] The national flag is also employed as the naval ensign for Canadian ships and military vessels.

Symbolism

In 1921, King George V proclaimed the official colours of Canada as red, from the Saint George's Cross, and white, from the French royal emblem since King Charles VII.

As early as 1700, the maple leaf served as a symbol celebrating the nature and environment of what is now Canada. The maple leaf on the flag is a sugar maple leaf. Sugar maples are native to Canada and have brilliant fall foliage. The number of points on the leaf has no significance; they do not, for instance, represent the ten provinces plus the federal government. In fact, some of the very first Canadian flags made had maple leaves of 15 points: the lower single points were tripled like the top three.

By a figure-ground reversal of the white square and the maple leaf, the two upper corners of the square can be seen as silhouettes of two angry faces arguing. This has often been considered evocative of the nature of Canadian federalism, but was wholly unintentional.

In Canadian culture, various patriotic comic book Canadian superheroes use the Maple Leaf flag as the basis for their costumes, much as Captain America's costume is based on the American flag. Hence, these characters' costumes are typically red and white with a red maple leaf as their symbol. Canadian superheroes who use this visual motif include Captain Canuck, Guardian and his successor, the Vindicator and Northguard.

Technical description

Construction sheet

The ratio of the Canadian flag is 1:2, meaning the length of the flag is twice the width of the flag. The white field is a perfect square, and each red field is exactly half its size.

The Department of Canadian Heritage has listed the various colour shades that should be used when reproducing the Canadian flag, these include:

· Printing ink

o FIP red: General Printing Ink, No. 0-712; o Inmont Canada Ltd., No. 4T51577;

o Monarch Inks, No. 62539/0 o Rieger Inks, No. 25564

o Sinclair and Valentine, No. RL163929/0.

The following colours 0/100/100/0 in the CMYK process or PMS032 (flag red 100%) or PMS485 (used for screens) in the Pantone colour specifier can be used when reproducing the flag. In the Pantone Matching System, the colour used (not officially) is 186c. In 1984, the National Flag of Canada Manufacturing Standards Act was passed in order to unify the standards in making the national flag for uses indoors and outdoors.

In heraldry, the flag has been blazoned as "Gules on a Canadian pale argent a maple leaf of the first."

History

Royal Union Flag

The Union Flag

The Royal Union Flag, called the Union Flag (or, commonly, Union Jack) in the United Kingdom, was used as a de jure flag until the adoption of the current flag in 1965. It remains an official Canadian flag, being flown on certain specific occasions.

Currently, regulations require federal installations to fly the Union Flag beside the Maple Leaf where physical arrangements exist (i.e., a second flagpole) on the following days: Commonwealth Day (the second Monday in March), Victoria Day

(which is also the Sovereign's official birthday in Canada), and the anniversary of the Statute of Westminster (December 11). The Union Flag can also be flown at the National War Memorial or at other locations during ceremonies that honour Canadian involvement with forces of other Commonwealth nations during times of war. The Union Flag is always preceded by the Maple Leaf flag, the latter occupying the place of honour.

The Union Flag is also part of the provincial flags of Ontario and Manitoba, forming the canton of these flags. A modified version is used on the flag of British Columbia. The flag of Newfoundland and Labrador is a stylized version of the Union Jack.

Several of the provincial lieutenant-governors formerly used a modified Union Flag as their personal standard, but the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia is the only one who retains this design.

The Union Flag and Canadian Red Ensign are still sometimes flown in Canada by veterans' groups and others who continue to stress the importance of Canada's British heritage and the Commonwealth connection.

Great Flag Debate

1957 version of the Canadian Red Ensign that had evolved as the de facto national flag until 1965.

Flag of the Royal Military College of Canada

Earlier (1964) version of the proposal that was adopted.

In 1963, the minority Liberal government of Lester B. Pearson gained power, and decided to adopt an official Canadian flag, by act of Parliament. The idea of an official national flag had been discussed for decades in the 20th century, particularly during the Liberal governments of Mackenzie King; indeed, during the Second World War there was for a time an effort to create a national flag for Canadian troops to carry into battle, but in Pearson's words, "It was a ridiculous design by some heraldic expert in National Defence, with all sorts of symbols on it." But it was not until the 1960s that the debate intensified, and became a subject of considerable controversy culminating in the Great Flag Debate of 1964. The principal political proponent of the change was Prime Minister Lester Pearson, who had been a significant broker during the Suez Crisis of 1956 (for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize), when the Egyptian government objected to Canadian peacekeeping forces on the grounds that they carried the flag of the United Kingdom, a belligerent. According to Mike: The Memoirs of the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, Pearson's principal concern was for the Canadian flag to be distinctive, not in particular for its introduction to indicate a further

break with the United Kingdom. The main opponent was the leader of the

opposition and former prime minister, John Diefenbaker, who made it his personal crusade.

Notwithstanding Pearson's caveat as to his (and before him, Mackenzie King's) rationale in pushing for a new flag, the Red Ensign had been unpopular in Quebec, a Liberal base of support. The Red Ensign was especially strongly favoured by rural English Canada, the heart of Tory support. Diefenbaker demanded a referendum be held on the flag issue, but Pearson instead formed a multi-party parliamentary committee to select a new design. Through a period of study with some political manoeuvring, the committee chose the current design, which was created by George F.G. Stanley, inspired by the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada, in Kingston, Ontario. Mooted designs included prototypes with blue rather than red bars and with three maple leaves as on the national coat of arms. The ultimately favoured design with red bars and a single maple leaf was adopted unanimously by the committee on October 29, 1964. The new flag was adopted by

the House of Commons on December 15, 1964. The Senate added its approval two days later.

Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed the new flag on January 28, 1965. It was inaugurated on February 15, 1965, at an official ceremony held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in the presence of Governor General Major-General Georges P. Vanier, the prime minister, the members of the Cabinet, and Canadian parliamentarians. Since 1996, February 15 has been commemorated as National Flag of Canada Day.

Despite the preceding acrimony, the new flag was quickly embraced by the Canadian public, and internationally the flag quickly became a welcome and easily recognizable marker of Canada worldwide.

Fate of the first Maple Leaf

After the first Maple Leaf was raised in February 1965, it was said that Prime Minister Pearson gave the original flag to the Liberal caucus. On February 15, 2000, a ceremony was held in which the Chair of the National Liberal Caucus presented Sheila Copps, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, with that flag. However, what is also said to be the first Maple Leaf was discovered in 2005. That Maple Leaf had been given to then Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, Lucien Lamoureux. Mr. Lamoureux was later appointed as Canada's ambassador to Belgium. After his death and some delay, the flag was returned to Canada.

Protocol

Several Canadian flags flying in Toronto, Ontario

Officially, there is no law that dictates the proper use of the Canadian flag. However, Canadian Heritage released guidelines on how to correctly display the flag alone or with other flags. The guidelines deal with the order of precedence the Canadian flag is placed, where the flag can be used and how it is used and what people should do to honour the flag. The suggestions, titled Flag Etiquette in Canada, was published by Canadian Heritage in a book and online format, which

had a last update at April of 2003. With the weather permitting, the flag itself can be displayed on any day at buildings operated by the Canadian Government, airports, military bases and diplomatic offices, as well as by citizens, during any time of the day. When flying the flag, it must be flown using its own pole and must

be superior to all flags, save for, in descending order, the Queen's Personal

Standard, the Governor General's Standard, any of the Personal Standards of members of the Canadian Royal Family, or flags of the Lieutenant-Governors.

Flying the flag at half-mast

When a flag is placed at the half-mast (or half-staff) position, it indicates that a period of mourning is occurring. To raise a flag in this position, the flag must be flown to the top of the pole first, then brought down halfway before the flag is secured for flying. When such a period occurs, all flags should be flown at that position or not be flown at all, with the exception to flags permanently attached to poles.

In Canada, the decision to fly the flag at half-mast on federal buildings rests with Canadian Heritage. For the flag to be half-masted nationwide, one of the following deaths must be announced:

· The Canadian Monarch – from the time of announcement of the death up to and including the funeral. This clause includes members of the Royal Family related to the Sovereign by the first degree, such as a spouse, children, parents or siblings.

· The current or former Governor General of Canada · The current or former Prime Minister of Canada

· A current minister of the federal cabinet

Each province can make its own determination of when to half-mast the flag when provincial leaders or honoured citizens pass away. Canadian Heritage has the right to half-mast the flag under extraordinary circumstances, such as honouring former American President Ronald Reagan or for international events as the September 11th attacks in 2001.

There are certain days every year that will call for the national flag to be flown at half-mast. These include:

· April 9 - Vimy Ridge Day

· April 28 - Workers' Mourning Day

· Last Sunday in September - Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day

· November 11 - Remembrance Day

· December 6 - National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence

Against Women