Eon of geological time, 3.5 billion to 570 million years ago, the second division of the Precambrian. It is defined as the time of simple life, since many rocks dating from this eon show traces of biological activity, and some contain the fossils of bacteria and algae.
The maple leaf is a traditional Canadian emblem. Red recalls Canadian lives lost during World War I. White stands for snow. Effective date: 15 February 1965.