Flag Day – Where Did All Of This Patriotism Come From?

You know, there was a time in this Country when there used to be flags flying along Main Streets. Back in the 1960s and 70s my Dad used to fly a flag out front of his store on one of the side streets.

Around the late '70s early '80s it seemed, though, Canada became less patriotic.

The town councils passed by-laws banning the flying of the Canadian flag purportedly for safety reasons. I remember this like it was yesterday because it seemed like a stab to my Father and all of the Veterans we knew.

Then it was as if Canadians were some how lesser and should be embarrassed if they flew their flags in their yards. Some even, they say because of the noise, had municipal councils ban the flying of flags, including the Canadian flag.

Then there were the parades with fewer and fewer Canadian flags were being presented and carried, again seeming like someone somewhere said it was an embarrassment to show our colours.

Even when the Trucker Convoy crossed this great nation, nearly every truck was plastered with the Canadian flag and our government said that those hundreds of thousands of people were merely “a small fringe minority with unacceptable views.” Do we all remember that. It was as if the Canadian government was spitting on that banner of Canadian pride and glory.

And look at us today.

I proudly have been flying my flag everyday for well over 2 decades. When it get’s thread worn, from the wind, I replace it to ensure it is always being flown proudly. It isn’t merely a symbol of this nation. It is a talisman showing the strength and eternal courage of the people of this nation. One nation who should have never allowed our government to take away the flying of our flag.

Canadians, for years, have never understood the need for some of us to show our respect for our Canadian flag. Personally, I don’t like it because it always seemed too partisan for my liking – Liberal red and white – when it should have, somehow, like Australia’s flag, included the Union Jack, but it became the Canadian standard. To me, though, a flag isn’t just the colour, it’s what that flag represents.

It isn’t who designed our flag. It isn’t even the person who sewed our flag. It is the history of this country that is behind our flag.

The settlers who tamed this wild nation. The women and men who grew this nation, creating railroads, schools, universities, built monuments, succeeded when the odds were so against success, the Veterans who gave their lives for the flag of that day, even for those truckers who united a nation like nothing we had seen in decades.

And now, we Canadians are looking at that good old red and white standard, to give us comfort, again, just like the Veterans looked to their flag. Just like the truckers when flying their flag. Just like the folks who wouldn’t be put off by the purported intellects who sneered at the flying of the flag. This totem, this talisman, this standard was always there and to this always patriotic Canadian it warms my heart to see so many begin to realize that flying the Canadian flag is something to be proud of – not something to be embarrassed about.

So, to all of those Canadians who used to be embarrassed; who used to look down their noses; who wanted by-laws passed to ban the flying of our flag – to you – I give you this:

God Bless our Veterans and God Bless Canada, especially our flag…