Advertisement

Windsor’s Canadian flag debate leads to attacks on patriotism

The border city of Windsor is adorned with a number large Canadian flags and, considering its skyline wraps tightly together with Detroit's, its American cousin, there is perhaps no city in the country more aware of the strength and pride that comes with the national symbol.

Which leads us into what is being called “The Great Canadian Flag Debate” – a discussion over whether to erect a high-rise-sized pole at a downtown intersection and post the mother of all Canadian flags, for everyone to see.

The Windsor Star reports that a debate over whether to fly a massive, and I mean massive, Canadian flag over an area of the border city's downtown has garnered its supporters and its detractors.

And, sadly, the debate has apparently prompted some to accuse those detractors of racism.

According to the Star, city councillor Fulvio Valentinis has expressed some doubt about the project, mostly on the technical aspects of flying a flag that is about 20 meters wide and 10 meters tall.

Will a flag of that size even flap in the wind? What sort of maintenance and upkeep would be involved? Will the flag obstruct the view for residents and, if so, should another location be considered?

Valentinis tells the newspaper his concerns have been met with accusations that he is un-Canadian. One person wrote to demand he "go back to where you came from."

[ Related: Giant Canadian flag debate deferred until later date ]

Valentinis was born in Italy but has lived in Windsor since he was four years old. So, you can imagine how such a demand would confound him.

Valentinis said, via the Windsor Star:

I’m not surprised. The furious ones are the ones who can’t tolerate any discussion, who interpret any question on this as being un-Canadian or unpatriotic.

...

There are simply some questions and concerns that have been passed on to me, as a councillor. I feel it’s my responsibility to ask those questions and bring those concerns forward.

Has Valentinis just learned the first rule of Canada: Stand in the way of a maple leaf at your peril? Canada, it turns out, loves its totems. Its flags and symbols, even its penny.

Remember the outrage, albeit short lived, when we killed the obnoxious maple leaf-adorned penny? We love the maple leaf so much that it is notable when the Canadian government uses the image of a foreign strain of leaf instead of one native to Canada.

[ More Brew: Canada among top 3 places to live in quality of life ranking ]

A poll last year not surprisingly found the maple leaf to be Canada's most cherished symbol, with respondents willing to slap the image just about anywhere. One in five respondents said they would consider getting a maple leaf tattoo.

It is on our beer labels, on our hockey jerseys. And, of course, it is on our flags. Blow one of those suckers up to 30 square feet and you are matched with oversized patriotism.

But racism? Oh, Canada.

Valentinis has some reasonable doubts. It is one thing to want Detroit to know where their skyline ends and ours begins, but let’s consider the scope of this thing.

CBC News reports a council debate on the project has been deferred. Hopefully when it comes back up for discussion, the merits of the massive flag can be discussed without anyone being called un-Canadian.

We all love the flag. We also love our parents, but would we necessarily want a 20-meter-tall picture of them hanging outside our apartment windows? Want to at least weigh the pros and cons first?