The Thrifty Pig

A cartoon from the 1939-1945 War, made in 1942, when Canada was still an independent, but proud member of the British Empire, a/k/a the British Commonwealth of Nations. It was produced by Walt Disney for the National Film Board of Canada and the National War Finance Committee.

It was made by editing the original 1933 'The Three Little Pigs' cartoon. The Big Bad Wolf's top hat is replaced by a Nazi officer's cap bearing a swastika and he wears a swastika brassard. Practical Pig's house is still made of bricks, but each 'brick' is a Canadian War Savings Certificate.

After the Wolf is unable to destroy the solid brick house, he is routed by Practical Pig bombarding him with 'bricks'. The victorious song the Pigs sing has the refrain, 'Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? The Union Jack's still waving!'.

Even most Canadians don't realise that the 'Canadian Red Ensign' was never the official flag of Canada. The Union Jack held that place, but it was only just a bit over two decades later, in 1965, that the Liberals under Prime Minister Lester 'Mike' Pearson managed to consign both the Union Jack and the Red Ensign to the dustbin of history, bringing in the Maple Leaf flag that people think of as the Canadian Flag today.

The Union Jack, or as it is officially called in Canada, the Union Flag, still holds a treasured place in many Canadians' hearts. It is in the Stand of Colours of every Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, and still flies over some historical sites.

When one of the greatest Prime Ministers Canada has ever had, John, 'Dief the Chief', Diefenbaker, died, he was almost denied a State Funeral. He had left strict instructions that his coffin was not to be covered by the Maple Leaf. A compromise was finally reached, with the Red Ensign, its Union Flag canton prominently displayed, covered half the coffin, whilst the Maple Leaf, which Dief despised, covered the other half.