VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadians on Saturday marked the 60th anniversary of the inauguration of their flag with a defiant sense of patriotism that people said was prompted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs and suggestions that the country become the 51st U.S. state.
Deborah Weismiller said she decided to hang a Canadian flag in the window of her Edmonton home for the first time.
“We share a passion for our country and although we have a reputation as being discreetly patriotic, we are suddenly driven to announce it loudly and clearly,” said Weismiller, 69, a retired journalist.
“Certainly the vast majority of Canadians are horrified at the very thought of becoming a 51st state at the best of times, let alone at a time when that country is in a frightening state of chaos,” she added.
Other Canadians, many feeling shocked and betrayed over Trump’s comments and his pressure on Ottawa to better secure its border, attached flags to their vehicles or hung them from balconies.
Bill Hawke, 83, had not flown his flag for several years but decided to do it this year.
“It represents the importance of Canada and its democracy,” the retired investment advisor said.
Bradley Miller, associate professor of history at the University of British Columbia, said Canadians normally only wave their flag at times like the Olympics, but he wasn’t surprised that Trump’s actions have united the country.
“When a leader callously, arrogantly, flippantly muses about us no longer being our own country, it makes perfect sense that we would react angrily, emotionally and patriotically,” Miller said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — whom Trump has referred to as “governor” — on Saturday issued a statement encouraging Canadians to proudly wave the flag, adding: “Let’s keep writing Canada’s enduring story.”
Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on most Canadian imports, with another 10% on Canadian oil, natural gas and electricity. They were put on hold for a month early this month. He also has said Canada “would be much better off” being the 51st U.S. state.
Heather Stone, general manager at Flag Outlet in Coquitlam, B.C., said the number of people purchasing flags had been “pretty phenomenal,” with one person buying 75. The most expensive is $45 Canadian dollars, or over $31.
“Nobody is coming with the attitude ‘To hell with America.’ It’s the opposite. They’re just really celebrating being Canadian.”
Stone said some people are attaching the flags to hockey sticks, which she called “seriously Canadian.”
Five of Canada’s former prime ministers — Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper — wrote an open letter earlier in the week asking Canadians to fly their flag in a display of national pride.
“We’ve had our share of battles in the past. But we all agree on one thing: Canada, the true north, strong and free, the best country in the world, is worth celebrating and fighting for,” they wrote.
Canada’s current maple leaf flag, with the ensign of the United Kingdom removed, officially appeared on Feb. 15, 1965.
Miller said its simple design makes it easily acceptable to Canadians of various backgrounds.
“The fact the flag isn’t littered with symbols and references to our past … has made it adaptable across a really dynamic period in our history,” he said.
