“Take Down that Maple Leaf: You’re Offending People!”
May 31, 2008 · By Shane Edwards
And you thought only the Union Jack could really offend people…
Apparently, the Maple Leaf is too vile to be displayed as well.
No word yet on what exactly was so offensive about it.
Does he own the house where he is flying the flag? Or is he a renter/leaseholder?
It’s a townhouse with a strata council. He owns the townhouse but must comply with strata regs. He was in compliance - he had written permission from the council to have the flag up there - attained years before.
This was not a flag that was just put up. It had been there for years with no problems, until now.
Who was this so-called “lady” who complained?
Ridiculous.
Thank you Shane for bringing this to our attention.
Of course I don’t support the concept of asking a patriotic Canadian to take down the national flag, but let it be noted that not all patriots see the flag with unbridled pride and enthusiasm. To me, for example, it rather reminds me of the Liberal domination of our country and its cultural traditions, the flag and the party symbols and colours are identical.
The CPC has, rather unwisely in my view, tried to market itself as a slightly blue-tinged variant of the same thing. At least the New Democrats refuse to overdo this nationalist approach (but are just plain wrong about most other things).
Oh well … the flag raises mixed feelings in me at sports events for example … it does say Canada to me on one level, but a quiet voice in the back of my head says “kill them all” (no it doesn’t, it says I would rather have a less overtly Liberal flag, or perhaps, more Liberals in jail for stealing our money).
– Peter O’Donnell, well not really in Canada because I live in B.C., and we just get to take things out of the ground or send them somewhere for real Canadians who live in like, Ontario, eh?
There’s the other thing, the red maple leaf — guess what, not too conspicuous in the landscape west of Winnipeg. Or north of 60. So a regional cultural symbol as well as a political one. Should this matter? Does to me. Perhaps I’m odd man out.
Let’s get this straight: The Union Jack is not the flag of Britain. The flag of Britain is the Union Flag. It’s only the Union Jack if it’s flying on a ship. The Union Flag is not the flag of England, as England is only part of Britain. The Flag of England is the St George’s Cross. The St George’s Cross was for many years associated with The British National Party, a far right, whites only political party formed from the National Front, which in turn was formed from a coalition of far rightists and Neo-Nazis. In certain situations, it still carries that association. I’m really not sure this is the kind of thing you should be indignant about when you can’t get the name of the flag right, and I’m fairly certain it’s not the context that you’d want to be comparing the Maple Leaf with. As it says in the article you linked to:
“It all depends on the context of a stop. If they are going past a lot of Polish people, for instance, and abusing them, then we possibly would ask them to take the flag down.”
Peter,
I’m on the same page as you. For me, the current flag is synonymous with the Liberal party and its overt campaign to eradicate all traces of our history and heritage. Historically and heraldically, the flag has no meaning outside of the colours. Sure, the maple leaf has been an important Canadian symbol for hundreds of years, but have you ever seen a leaf that looks like the one on the flag (and before some bright light tries to explain why a stylised leaf was chosen, don’t bother; I know why)? If we needed a flag with a maple leaf we could have stayed with the Canadian Red Ensign; it has three and they actually look like maple leaves. Nope, we needed a new flag because Liberal B. Pearson decided it was time to piss on our history to appease both so-called ‘new Canadians’ and Quebec and because the Red Ensign stood between him and his ambitions for obtaining a Nobel Peace prize (short history lesson: Pearson wanted to send peacekeepers to the Suez during the 1956 crisis but the Egyptians objected, stating we could not be trusted to be neutral because of the Union Flag in the canton of the Red Ensign.) Couple the introduction of the Liberal Leaf flag with the forcing of naval vessels to fly it at the stern in republican fashion, unification of the armed forces, and changing the name of Dominion Day to Canada Day, and yeah, it’s pretty hard to miss the cultural domination. And as far as the flag being a regional symbol, I live in Ontario and you can’t walk two steps without tripping over the damned thing. Not too suprising given the political leanings here.
So you see it matters to me, too, friend.
Step #1: If you have authorization to fly the flag from the previous council and, if the present council has not amended the bylaws, in writing and with proper notification, let them take you to court and then sue the ass off them.
Step #2: Study the bylaws intently and then watch the complaining moron like a hawk. Every time she is in even the slightest violation send in a complaint. Keep it up until you drive her out of the neighbourhood.
Step #3: Get a number of very large and very nasty dogs and dare them to come and take down the flag.
As a born and raised Albertan, now living in Manitoba I think of the flag as more of a Liberal advertisement than anything else.
Personally, I fly the Manitoba Provincial flag - It looks like Canada’s former flag the Canadian Red Ensign with the Union Jack in one corner and the Provincial Shield on the right side.
Fly the flag proudly and vote the damn Liberals out everytime you get the chance. That ‘oughta help erase any bad feelings you may have over it.
[...] after a barrage of email and support for the resident of a townhouse strata in Surrey, who dared to fly the Canadian Flag on his unit, the strata council has decided not to move forward with a fine. It almost seemed [...]
Sir J.G. Bourinot wrote in “How Canada is Governed(1895)” under “Executive Power” with regards to the Dominion government and the National flag Quote”The Dominion of Canada has also authority to display on all public occasions a National flag, viz., the Red or Blue Ensign…The Red Ensign is displayed at the opening and closing of parliament, and on all National occasions. The Blue Ensign is a distinguishing flag of government vessels of Canada; the mercantile marine of the Dominion has a right to use the Red Ensign.” Sir John George Bourinot,(1837-1902)Canadian historian, he is remembered as an authority on the Canadian constitution and government.His “Local Government in Canada(1887),Manuel of the Constitutional history of Canada(1888, rev.ed. 1901), How Canada Is Governed (1895,rev.ed.1918), and other books are still authoritative.” It would be wise and only fair to make sure that it becomes common knowledge that with the passage of time the true perspective on the creation of the current national flag of Canada and the great emotion and sadness that accompanied the moment has in many ways been purposly hidden, lied about, overlooked and in many cases forgotten. In June 1964 the Toronto Telegram wrote “The people of Canada should be allowed to decide whether or not they wish to live under the flag of thier forbearers or discard it in favor of a new emblem… Mr. Pearson has an enviable reputation for sagacity and diplomacy. Let him now demonstrate it once again.Let him ask the people by referendum whether they want to replace the banner that carries the symbols of our nationhood by one that is mounted on the colour of surrender and would be most suitable for an aboretum.” The Vancouver Province wrote “Canadians who are outraged at the thought of abandoning a flag sanctified by the lives and blood of thousands of our countrymen in two great wars-a flag of colour and character in every way superior to the glorified dish towel Mr. Pearon seeks single-handedly to impose on this country.”… I will always remember these facts because “I am Canadian.”