150 Tapscott Road
Toronto, Ontario
M1B 2L2

Telephone: 416-396-5892
Fax: 416-396-5937

E-mail:
LesterBPearsonCI@tdsb.on.ca

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History


Lester Pearson, or “Mike” to his friends, was born in Newtonbrook, Ontario on April 23, 1897. He was Canada’s foremost diplomat in the post World War II era, creating much of Canada’s postwar foreign policy.He won the Nobel Peace prize as Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations when he found a way to prevent a major war in the Middle East in 1956.

Pearson was with the Canadian Medical Corps during World War I, stationed in Greece. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, but his soldiering career ended when he was run over by a bus in London.

After the war he became a history teacher, but left to join External Affairs, where he rose to become Canada’s ambassador to United States. In that role, he attended the founding conference of the United Nations in 1945. From 1945 to 1957, he served his country and the world well, finding compromises during the Cold War, helping to keep the peace.

In 1958, he became leader of the Liberal party, rebuilding the party by promoting national unity, and in 1963, as Prime Minister, leading a minority government through many difficult debates until 1968. The most famous of these debates was the flag debate. The design we now have, the red maple leaf, is because of Pearson’s government.

The rest of his legacy is also notable: the Canada Pension Plan, a universal health care system, unified armed forces and regional economic development. He resigned in December 1967 and was replaced by Pierre Trudeau. Five years later, he died in Ottawa.

Thanks Mike, for all you did for us.

 

 

Our motto, “Peace through Understanding,” is taken from Lester B. Pearson’s acceptance speech upon winning the Nobel Prize. The stylized human figures in the outside circle have outstretched arms, symbolizing understanding among the nations of the world. The circular shape represents the world, and contains the dove of peace and Canada’s maple leaf. The school colours are black, white, silver and orange.