He was a true Canadian icon, a children’s entertainer beloved by generations of youngsters.

To celebrate his life and passing, Google.ca has created a special doodle for Ernie Coombs, a.k.a. Mr. Dressup, who was born on Nov. 26, 1927.

The elaborate and colourful doodle features Mr. Dressup and his two best-known companions on screen, Finnegan the dog — the second ‘o’ in Google — and Casey, his child companion who never grew old, is the ‘l.’ (It was never specified whether Casey was a boy or a girl.)

Coombs, who was actually born in Lewiston, Maine, came to Canada in 1963 to understudy with Fred Rogers, who created his own beloved children’s show in the U.S. called Mr. Roger’s Neighbourhood.

After three years as a regular on a show on CBC called Butternut Square, Mr. Dressup was launched in 1967 with Coombs as its star. Coombs’ show featured arts, crafts and music and focused on stirring the imagination of children.

Coombs became a Canadian citizen in 1994. Mr. Dressup’s last show was taped on Feb. 14, 1996 when Coombs retired, the same year he was named as a Member of the Order of Canada. Mr. Dressup ran in reruns on the CBC for another decade.

Eight days after suffering a stroke, Coombs died on Sept. 18, 2001 at the age of 73.

Hundreds of Google doodles have been created over the year to commemorate and honour historical figures, special events and important dates.

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