Lester B. Pearson was captivated by the design of a flag with three maple leaves on a white field with two blue bars presented to him by the graphic artist, Alan Beddoe, whom Matheson had consulted. Pearson took a sketch of this flag with him when he went to address the national Convention of the Royal Canadian Legion in Winnipeg on 17 May. There before a hostile audience, which favoured the Canadian Red Ensign, he set out his belief in the need for a national flag.
“I believe most sincerely that it is time now for Canadians to unfurl a flag that is truly distinctive and truly national in character; as Canadian as the Maple Leaf which should be its dominant design; a flag easily identifiable as Canada’s; a flag which cannot be mistaken for the emblem of any other country; a flag of the future which honours also the past; Canada’s own and only Canada’s…”
Shortly after PearsonΓÇÖs return from Winnipeg, the cabinet endorsed the Beddoe design, which John Diefenbaker, the leader of the opposition, dubbed derisively ΓÇ£PearsonΓÇÖs pennantΓÇ¥.
