Lester B. Pearson

Lester B. Pearson Born 23 of April 1897 died 27 of December 1972. Lester B Pearson was one of the greatest Canadians ever. During his life, he was a professor, historian, civil servant, and a politician, he was also very talented at sports, and making friends. He was born to Annie Sarah, and Edwin Arthur Pearson, who was a church minister.

At the age of 16 he graduated from Hamilton Collegiate Institute, and in the same year studied at Victoria College, at the University of Toronto (UofT), but in 1914 his days spent at UofT were interupted during the first outbreak of WW1. He enlisted in the Canadian Army as a private. Since he was only 18 he was too young to serve in combat, so instead he served 2 years in the medical corps in Balkan before he was switched over to the British Royal Flying Corps as a commissioned Flight Lieutenant. During an accident in flight training in 1918, Pearson was injured. He was then transferred to Canada in, and later that year, discharged from the service.

During his lifetime, Lester B. Pearson recieved multiple honours and awards such as; being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and also appointed to the Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth ll .Probably the most well known achievement Lester B. Pearson has earned is the The Nobel Peace Prize. In 1956 he organized the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis. The selection committee for the Nobel Peace Prize stated the Pearson had saved the world. The United Nations Emergency Force was first assembled by Lester B. Pearson in 1956 to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis.

In 1948 Lester B. Pearson was selected by Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent as Secretary of State for External affairs in the Liberal Government. Not long after, he won a seat in the Canadian House of Commons. In 1963 Lester B. Pearson was elected Prime Minister of Canada, his term as Prime Minister lasted 5 years. He never had majority in the Canadian house of commons, although, he managed to bring in Canada’s universal health care, the Canada Pension Plan, and Canada Student Loads. He also established a new flag for our country, the maple leaf. On top of all those major social programs we have here in Canada, he also introduced the 40 hour work week, two weeks vacation and a new minimum wage.

If he had not become Canada’s prime minister, Lester B. Pearson would still be a significant figure in Canadian history as the only Canadian to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. During his restless and fairly brief years in office, his governments transformed the way Canada is today. From universal health care, to minimum wage. Other countries may marvel at how Lester B. Pearson intuitive mind shaped this country to be the way it is today. But they will never be able to recreate his pride, his will to make Canada the greatest country on earth.

Lester B. Pearson created this for a better future for all of us.