The original Maple Leaf flag that flew atop the Peace Tower in 1965 was rushed home in time for Canada Day celebrations.
By JIM FOX
Published July 3, 2005
The historic flag was returned on a flight from Belgium, where it had been stored for years.
After originally flying over the Parliament building, the flag was given to Lucien Lamoureux, deputy speaker of the House of Commons at the time, who settled in Brussels after retiring in 1985.
The flag was returned to its original home, Parliament Hill, for Canada Day celebrations on Friday to mark the 138th anniversary of the country's founding.
It was in the possession of Lamoureux's widow, Elisabeth Hoffmann-Lamoureux. She said she was in no hurry to return the flag, because of a dispute with the government over her late husband's pension, but she relented this year.
Gay marriage legalized
After one of the most turbulent debates in Canadian history, the federal government has legalized same-sex marriages. The vote was 158-133 to pass the bill, with the Conservatives opposed.
The late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government decriminalized homosexuality in 1969, and its Charter of Rights and Freedoms became the legal grounds to amend the traditional definition of marriage.
The current government acted after court rulings in eight of the 10 provinces found marriage laws violated the charter's guarantee of equality for all Canadians.
"It's a sad day," said Charles McVety, president of the Canada Christian College. "The great institution of marriage that has built this civilization and the foundation of our society has been defiled by our Parliament."
News in brief
--No one was hurt when a huge ferry lost power while docking Thursday and plowed through dozens of boats before running aground at Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. The ferry, arriving from Nanaimo, carried 544 passengers and 189 vehicles. Passengers were stuck on the ferry and two others from Vancouver Island for several hours until tugboats removed the disabled ship.
--Turning away from hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies offered by several U.S. states, Toyota decided to build a second Ontario plant in Woodstock. Cost efficiencies for training and public health care put Ontario in the lead for the RAV4 plant to open in 2008. Toyota also will expand its aluminum wheel plant in Delta, British Columbia.
Facts and figures
Consumers on a spending binge pushed economic growth to an annualized rate of 2.7 percent.
For now, the key interest rate of the Bank of Canada remains at 2.5 percent, and the prime lending rate is 4.25 percent.
The Canadian dollar is higher at 81.61 U.S. cents, while the U.S. dollar is $1.2253 Canadian, before bank exchange fees.
Stock markets are mixed, with Toronto's composite index up at 9,996 points and the Canadian Venture Exchange lower at 1,718 points.
--While southern Ontario endured a weeklong heat wave with temperatures around 90 and no rain, neighboring Manitoba had record rainfalls across the Red River Valley. In Deloraine, near the U.S. border, residents were forced from about 50 flooded houses.
--The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will open an office in Toronto this summer. Bureau director Carl Truscott said agents will work with Canadian law enforcement officials to target the illicit movement of U.S.-sourced firearms, ammunition, explosives, alcohol and tobacco. The ATF also has offices in Ottawa and Vancouver.
--A ceremonial check for $830-million was given to Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm to represent the revised multibillion-dollar offshore revenue agreement with the federal government. The accord allows the province and Newfoundland to keep offshore oil and gas royalties without an equalization penalty. It's worth $1.1-billion for Nova Scotia and $2.6-billion for Newfoundland over eight years.
