Confederate flag flap a business boon for ‘Hillbilly’ restaurant in Hamilton, Ont.

An Ontario restaurant owner who elected to use the Confederate flag on the sign of his barbecue joint says he is not racist. But that's not really the point.

Cameron Bailey is the owner of Hillbilly Heaven in downtown Hamilton and says the flag perfectly represents his southern cuisine restaurant.

And if you think using an icon with deep connections to racial segregation and U.S. slavery was an accident, evidence to the contrary can be found in the restaurant's ridiculous name.

“Did I know the shit would hit the fan? I'll be honest with you. Of course I did,” Bailey told CBC News. “But I'm not going to not do it because some people might make a big deal out of it.”

The Confederate flag dates back to the 1860s when southern U.S. states were attempting to secede and form their own country because incoming president Abraham Lincoln vowed to abolish slavery.

[ Related: Residents angered by Hamilton eatery's Confederate flag ]

The issue still simmers in some areas of southern U.S. Mississippi finally ratified an amendment to legally ban slavery last month.

Last month.

Honouring Confederacy also took a recent hit in Tennessee, where three Memphis parks named after Confederate heroes were quietly renamed something less controversial.

The National Post reports that a high school in Sutton, Ont., also recently banned the Confederate flag after it became a fashionable accessory, frequently used by students unaware of its connection to slavery.

James Carson, a professor of history at Queen’s University, summarized the flag's symbolism thusly in the Post:

Perhaps the best reason to do away with the flag comes from University of Houston history professor Gerald Horne, who said Canada's ardent anti-slavery stance nearly made it a target of U.S. attacks in the past.

“What kind of so-called Canadian patriot will fly the flag of a now-forgotten nation that intended an attack on his homeland?” Horne told CBC. “This, to me, is outrageous.”

[ More Brew: Newspaper shuts down Facebook page over ‘racist’ comments ]

Good thing Bailey isn't a patriot. He is, instead, a businessman. And he says the controversy around the sign has been good for the restaurant.

He has garnered mass attention in the past for signs saying he "doesn't serve and never will" dished of an ethnic nature, including halal, rice and shawarma.

Bailey told the Post that if people don't like the Confederate flag, they don't have to come into the restaurant.

They are still forced, of course, to pass by the restaurant’s sign as they walk through downtown Hamilton — an area known as the "International Village."

So sorry, anyone who might take offence. Bailey is making a point about free speech or something. Not only is he making a point, he is making money.

Go somewhere else for your political correctness. And shawarma.