In his home in Harrison Hot Springs, artist Max Newhouse is getting ready to honour the 20th anniversary of Nunavut joining Canada with a gift for every classroom in the territory: a deck of cards.

B次元官网网址淚 wanted to make sure each classroom in Nunavut, which isnB次元官网网址檛 hard, gets a deck of cards,B次元官网网址� Newhouse said. B次元官网网址淪o they can learn about the country and how it grew.B次元官网网址�

He has the deck spread out across a work bench in his studio, and itB次元官网网址檚 not what youB次元官网网址檇 expect. On one side, a provincial or territorial flag, along the regionB次元官网网址檚 capital and the date it joined Canada. On the other, seasonal variants of the Canadian flag.

Those same images of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 flag were hung around his studio: the traditional flag was summer, a falling maple leaf within two borders of red was for autumn, a blank white canvas within the red borders was for winter and a sprouting leaf was for spring.

He had been painting the Canadian flag in this form since 1974 B次元官网网址� mostly in quadrants, but eight months ago he tried it as a set of four playing cards.

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B次元官网网址淚 just thought, thereB次元官网网址檚 something to it,B次元官网网址� he said about the painting. B次元官网网址淪o I just kept thinking B次元官网网址� is there any way I can develop a game that has only four numbers or four symbols?B次元官网网址�

It took months, but he did.

The object of the game is simple B次元官网网址� match the four flag seasons to get four of a kind of a full year B次元官网网址� and in many ways is reminiscent of an ancient Chinese game B次元官网网址淭he Game of Leaves.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚t makes me feel like IB次元官网网址檓 connected to ancient history,B次元官网网址� he said.

But, as Newhouse is keen to point out, the game is surprisingly complex and varied when played.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a very complex, yet extremely simple,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t should have been around thousands of years ago.B次元官网网址�

HeB次元官网网址檚 tested the card game at Harrison Hot Springs Elementary, and the keen eyes of critical students have helped him perfect the game.

B次元官网网址淚t was the kids that figured outB次元官网网址� what to do for the back of the cards, Newhouse said. B次元官网网址淭hey said why donB次元官网网址檛 you do the provinces and territories.B次元官网网址�

With that change, Nunavut became its heart.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e actually the top card,B次元官网网址� he said, gently looking at the cards on his bench. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e number 13, that makes them the king.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e like a big crown on top of our country,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a nice symbol.B次元官网网址�

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Originally, Newhouse had planned to send a deck of cards to each classroom in Nunavut for the April 1 anniversary of the territoryB次元官网网址檚 entrance to Canada. But, with changes still needing to be made to the game, he wasnB次元官网网址檛 able to make the deadline.

B次元官网网址淚 going to miss that mark, but not entirely,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚ntellectually, the game being correct, I canB次元官网网址檛 rush it. But IB次元官网网址檓 going to absolutely get it there before the school year starts next year,B次元官网网址� he added.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 still in their anniversary. It just isnB次元官网网址檛 April 1.B次元官网网址�

grace.kennedy@ahobserver.com
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