Unable to overcome the impasse, the government referred the flag question to a 15 member all-party committee to propose a new Canadian flag. It had six weeks to make its report. Interested Canadians submitted thousands of flag designs for the committee to consider. Although he was not chairman of the committee, John Matheson was active in leading the committee to recommend a flag that would accurately signal ΓÇ£CanadaΓÇ¥.
