Over the years, many great Canadians have reached out and shaped Canada into what it is today. An individual named Lester Bowles Pearson changed Canada in a way that very few have. Pearson was born in 1897 in a small town just outside Toronto (www.nobelprize.org). His parents Edwin Pearson and Annie Sarah raised him. Little did they know that their son would be one of the greatest Canadians of all time. Pearson was known as a diplomat, professor, historian and Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968 (www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca). Lester B. Pearson was an extraordinary man with a dream to put Canada on the map and he did so not only nationally, but internationally as well. In particular, his idea to give Canada a new flag, the creation of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism and his efforts to prevent a world war, which led him to win the Nobel Peace Prize. During that time, many questions were asked whether Canada should have its own flag. Canada's flag was still the Union Jack because they were closely tied to Great Britain, however some Canadians believed that it was time for Canada to have a flag to represent their country. Canada has existed for 96 years and still did not have a flag (www.cbc.ca). The possibility of Canada having its own flag was postponed for many years until Lester B. Pearson became Prime Minister of Canada. His dream as Prime Minister was to help change Canada for the better and this was one of the ways he did that. In 1963, Pearson presented his ideas for a new flag in a speech. Many boos echoed through the crowd, which surprised him greatly. The reason was that Canada was still largely populated by British citizens who believed that Canada should remain loyal to its homeland. Diefenbaker, the le...... middle of paper ......and Laurendeau and Davidson Dunton crossed Canada to see how Canada could preserve French and English relations. With the creation of the Royal Commission, the way French speakers were treated in Canada changed. Pearson made them feel equally important in every circumstance. In conclusion, Lester B. Pearson will be someone Canadians will never forget. He has done so much both on a national level, such as the new flag for Canada and the Royal Commissions on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, and on an international level, such as deflating the situation in Egypt. He saved the world from a possible world war. Pearson achieved his goal of showing how Canada had a place in the world. He put Canada on the map by being an extraordinary peacekeeper. He died in December. 27, 1972 (www.canadianencyclopedia.ca). An airport in Toronto, a theater and numerous schools named after him are remembered.