Prime Minister Lester Pearson

A likeable and patient man, Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson had a conciliatory approach he learned in his career as a diplomat. Lester Pearson was a strong supporter of international agencies and helped establish NATO. His proposal for an emergency UN peacekeeping force to resolve the Suez Crisis won Lester Pearson the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957.

1963-68

• Canada Pension Plan 1965

• Auto Pact 1965

• National Flag of Canada 1965

• universal medicare 1965

• Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism

• a new Canadian immigration act

• Born April 23, 1897 in Newton Brook, Ontario
• Died December 27, 1972 in Ottawa, Ontario

• BA - University of Toronto
• BA, MA - Oxford University

• Lieutenant, Canadian Army Medical Corps and Flying Officer, Royal Flying Corps 1914-18
• History lecturer
• Diplomat in Department of External Affairs
• Canadian Ambassador to the United States 1945-46
• Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs 1946
• Chairman of the NATO Council 1951-52
• President of the United Nations General Assembly 1952-53
• Professor and Chancellor, Carleton University 1969-72

Liberal Party

Algoma East

• Lester Pearson was first elected to the House of Commons in 1948.

• He was elected Leader of the federal Liberal Party in 1958, and was Leader of the Opposition from 1958 to 1963.

• The Liberals won a minority government in 1963 and Lester Pearson was sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada.

• The Liberals won a minority government again in 1965.

• Lester Pearson retired from politics in 1968 at the age of 71.