Our Flag Turns 50 This Year

 

“The flag is the symbol of the nation's unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion.”

                                                    - Maurice Bourget (1965)

 

Each year as we approach the National Flag of Canada Day, I’m reminded of these words by Maurice Bourget, the Speaker of the Senate at the official inaugural ceremony of the Canadian Flag in 1965. I truly believe that our national flag reminds us of our nation’s unity, and our commitment as Canadian citizens to our great country's well-being.

The National Flag of Canada was approved by Parliament in 1964 and proclaimed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to take effect on February 15, 1965. It is a red flag, twice as long as it is wide, containing in its centre a white square bearing a red maple leaf. Red and white are Canada's official colours and, with the maple leaf, are the symbolic elements found in the Canadian flag.

Do you know the story behind our national flag?

The maple leaf had long been an important part of the Aboriginal lifestyle because of the maple sap they used to gather every spring. Sometime around 1860, the maple leaf was adopted as the national emblem. Later, in 1921, the colours, red and white were approved as Canada's official colours in the proclamation of the royal arms of Canada by King George V. In 1964, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson strongly advocated the need to have a distinctive national flag as a symbol of unified Canada. Soon after, a committee was formed and the search for the Canadian flag initiated.

Every year, we celebrate the National Flag of Canada Day with great enthusiasm. This year marks 50 years since the flag was first hoisted at the Parliament Hill. MP Brad Butt will be hosting a special ceremony on Sunday, February 15, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at Streetsville Village Square to celebrate this 50th anniversary. I hope you can attend.

Have a wonderful family day weekend... and Happy Valentine's Day too! 

Are you ready for the Bi-weekly Waste Collection Program?

As residents of Ward 10, we don’t always agree on everything, but I believe we all want a safe and enjoyable future for ourselves, our children and the generations to come.  One area where we are conscious of conserving the environment and ensuring long-term sustainability is to do with how we handle our waste. In the not-too-distant past, we have taken steps as individuals and as a community to manage our consumption and waste-collection. Peel pioneered in this direction in 1994 by rolling out a bi-weekly organics recycling program in Caledon. This was followed by the weekly organic recycling pilot project launched in 2002 to 1700 households in parts of Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon. Now it is time to get ready for the new bi-weekly garbage collection program to be launched in 2016 for more than 333,000 households in the Region of Peel.

One of the keys goals for moving to this new program is to divert a lot more of our waste from the garbage dump to recyclables. Many of us are still not using the green bins for our organics (compost). It is time that we learn about the waste we create, how it is collected and managed by the municipality and transformed into renewable energy; and how this waste impacts our immediate environment – our soil, groundwater, and other natural resources. And, of course, we know that waste collection has fiscal implications too. How much we collect and how we process eventually impacts the Region’s finances. The bi-weekly cart-based waste collection will help waste diversion, which in turn will reduce waste production and the expense incurred to manage it.

The new program will start in January 2016. In preparation, residents will choose the cart sizes appropriate for their needs. You can do this online at www.PeelRegion.ca/carts. If you want to physically see the carts prior to making your selection, visit an open house organized in your area – March 5 at Erin Meadows Community Centre or March 10 at Lisgar Middle School. These carts won’t cost you anything as long as you make your selection before March 31, 2015. There are many online resources available to find more information. Read more at the Region’s web page dedicated to this program. http://prd.app1.peelregion.ca/cart-confirmation/?utm_source=massmedia&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=biweekly

 You can also visit http://www.mississaugaward10.ca/ to find out more about the Open House in your area. Please don’t hesitate to call us, email us or even post your questions and comments right here.