About Lester B. Pearson

Many of the values and programs we now think of as distinctly Canadian — universal healthcare, bilingualism, multiculturalism, peacekeeping, close economic and military ties with the United States, and the red maple leaf flag — were set in motion or accelerated during the 1950s and 1960s. More exactly, they were the legacy of one of Canada’s most revered diplomats and Prime Ministers, Lester B. Pearson, in whose honour and memory the Pearson Centre was established.

As many of those ideals and programs are now being eroded or called into question, it may be worth reminding ourselves of their origins and of Pearson’s legacy. Especially relevant today are his role in establishing Canada’s reputation as a serious actor in international affairs, shaping mutually beneficial and respectful relations with the US, and enacting distinctively progressive domestic policies.

Canada in International Affairs

Before Pearson became Prime Minister in 1963, he served for many years on the world stage; as Canada’s Ambassador to the US (1944-46), as President of the UN General Assembly (1952-53), and as Secretary of State for External Affairs (1948-57). By no coincidence, these are regarded as the golden years of Canadian diplomacy, a time when Canada punched ‘above its weight’ in international affairs. That was not exclusively Pearson’s achievement, of course, but he was one of its major architects and it remains one of his most important legacies.

A crucial element of Pearson’s impact in world affairs was his embrace of multilateral ideals and institutions, especially the United Nations (UN) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As Canada’s foreign minister, he played a pivotal role in the diplomatic efforts to resolve the Suez Crisis of 1956-57, and in establishing the first ever UN peacekeeping operation – the UN Emergency Force (UNEF).[1] That force was the first example of a model of peacekeeping under UN auspices that continues, albeit in different form and with mixed success, until today. For that and his other diplomatic work in resolving the Suez Crisis, Pearson was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1957. Just as important, through this work he established Canada’s reputation as a significant actor in international affairs, and an advocate of multilateralism.

As Prime Minister, Pearson also played a crucial role in restoring mutually beneficial relations with the United States, which had soured badly under the leadership of his predecessor John Diefenbaker. That is not to say there were no tensions between the two countries; there certainly were. But Pearson managed to navigate those tensions while at the same time asserting Canada’s independence and sovereignty. As he noted on the occasion of Canada’s centennial celebrations in 1967: “It is becoming apparent to the world – at last – that we are not merely an Arctic extension of the United States.”[2] Those words, spoken almost 60 years ago, ring true again today.

Among the most contentious bilateral issues to arise during Pearson’s years in office was the Vietnam War. As an ally of the United States, there was an expectation that Canada would support US military action in Vietnam. To a degree, Pearson accepted the logic of US intervention, but he declined US requests to send Canadian troops. And with the dramatic US military escalation of early 1965, Pearson called openly for a pause in the bombing to allow a diplomatic solution to the conflict – most famously in a speech at Temple University in Philadelphia in April 1965. A furious President Johnson summoned Pearson to Camp David the following day, where he is said to have grabbed Pearson by the lapels, and fumed “You pissed on my rug!”[3] But Pearson’s resolve effectively kept Canada out of the war and asserted Canada’s independence in foreign policy and its support for multilateralism.

Another area of tension with the US, and one with distinct echoes today, was in automotive manufacturing. When Pearson took office, the auto industries in the two countries were highly segregated, stymied by tariffs, and only 3 percent of Canadian-built vehicles were sold in the US. That changed in 1965, when Pearson and Johnson signed a trade agreement, known as the Auto Pact. The pact aimed to reduce production costs through more efficient production and to lower prices for consumers.[4] The pact set in motion the cross-border integration of the auto industry that remained in place until being upended by President Trump’s tariff threats earlier this year. In the years following the agreement, the Canadian automobile industry grew dramatically, and automobile parts and production surpassed pulp and paper as Canada’s leading industry.[5] As tariffs threaten the prosperity that has come with the integration of the US and Canadian economies, and Canada’s very sovereignty, it may be instructive to reflect on Pearson’s handling of this challenge some sixty years ago.

Domestic Policy

If Pearson’s diplomatic achievements earned Canada respect and affirmed its sovereignty abroad, his greatest legacy at home was arguably the extraordinary array of progressive social policies he introduced during his five years as Prime Minister. These policies touched on virtually every dimension of Canadian life, including healthcare, language, the status of women, pensions, higher education, and national identity. These achievements marked a uniquely optimistic and progressive period in Canadian history, “the high point of the Canadian welfare state that generations of social thinkers had dreamed about.”[6] More remarkable still, all this was accomplished by a government which never had a majority in Parliament, and against sometimes bitter opposition.

Among the most notable of these policies was the creation of a system of publicly-funded universal healthcare, through the Medical Care Act of 1966.[7] The Act affirmed five founding principles: that healthcare should be public, comprehensive, universal, portable, and accessible. The idea of universal health care had been discussed and partially implemented before Pearson was on the scene, and it had been established by the NDP government of Saskatchewan in 1962. But it was only under Pearson that the idea became a federal government priority. And it was under Pearson, with the support of the NDP, that the system was established despite powerful opposition from some provincial governments, Progressive Conservatives, and even doctors and medical associations. Despite its imperfections, and current doubts about its cost and sustainability, universal healthcare remains a distinctive Canadian achievement.

Of no less importance in the formation of Canada’s modern identity was the policy of official bilingualism, set in motion by the Pearson government through the establishment of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism in 1963.[8] The B & B Commission, as it became known, was a response to growing demands by Francophones, especially in Quebec, for greater opportunities in politics and the economy, for protection of the French language and, for some, Quebec’s separation from Canada. Through its work from 1963-69, the Commission laid the foundation for sweeping changes in federal and provincial language policy – leading to the designation of both French and English as official languages in 1969. The Commission’s findings also laid the groundwork for the idea that Canada should embrace its multicultural character, and for the creation of a federal department of multiculturalism in 1971. In setting these changes in motion, Pearson helped to defuse, at least for a time, a looming crisis of national unity and established an enduring and distinctive Canadian identity.

Pearson also presided over a vital turning point in the position of women in Canada. Responding to growing demands for gender equality from the women’s movement, in 1967 he established the Royal Commission on the Status of Women, with a mandate to “recommend what steps might be taken by the federal government to ensure equal opportunities for women in all aspects of Canadian society.”[9] The Commission undertook extensive consultations nationwide over a three year period, and in 1970 its groundbreaking report was tabled in Parliament. The Commission’s 167 recommendations – which included the elimination of the wage gap between men and women, the provision of universal childcare, and greater representation of women in politics – aimed broadly to increase women’s autonomy and to lay the foundation for gender equality. While challenges remain in achieving those goals, the Commission Pearson created set the stage for significant progress.

One of Pearson’s most significant contributions to Canadian identity was his role in creating a new national flag – the distinctive red maple leaf. At the time, in 1964, the question of what Canada’s new flag should be and represent — particularly whether it should continue to include the British Union Jack — sparked a deep controversy that became known as the “Great Flag Debate.” Among those who felt strongly that the new flag had to include the Union Jack was John Diefenbaker, the leader of the opposition. Pearson’s proposed design, referred to as the “Pearson Pennant,” did not include the Union Jack and was intended as a symbolic break from Canada’s colonial identity, towards a more distinct national identity. Ultimately, Pearson established a Parliamentary committee, and it was this committee that selected the design concept by George Stanley. In the words of M.P. John Matheson, one of the leaders of the parliamentary committee, its creation was the work of “many loving hands”, including John Ross Matheson, Patrick Reid, George Bist, Jacques Saint Cyr and the team from the National Research Council of Canada. The red and white maple leaf flag became the official symbol of Canada – a unifying emblem that continues to represent the country’s independence and identity to this day.[10]

More than half a century later, Pearson’s achievements in all these areas remain central to Canadian identity, and to Canada’s way of doing things. Yet they are also in danger. The ideal of multilateralism, and institutions like the UN and NATO, face unprecedented challenges; Canada’s relations with the United States are deeply strained; and questions about universal healthcare, childcare, national unity, and identity loom large. If we value these ideals and traditions, we will need to work to keep them alive. We take them for granted at our peril.

Notes

[1] “The Canadian Peacekeeping Tradition,” The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-canadian-peacekeeping-impulse-feature

[2] “From Borden to Pearson to Trudeau: How Canada Day Has defined a Nation,” CBC
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-speech-canada-day-analysis-wherry-1.4184264

[3] “Lester B. Pearson,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_B._Pearson

[4] Crane, David. “Canada—United States Automotive Products Agreement,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-us-automotive-products-agreement

[5] Anastakis, Dimitri (2005). Auto Pact: Creating a Borderless North American Auto Industry, 1960-1971. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

[6] “Lester B. Pearson,” The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lester-bowles-pearson

[7] “Health Policy,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/health-policy

[8] “Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism,” Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/royal-commission-on-bilingualism-and-biculturalism

[9] Government of Canada, “Royal Commission on the Status of Women,” https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/commemorations-celebrations/royal-commission-status-women-canada.html

[10] “The Great Flag Debate,” The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/flag-debate