Why some Londoners are flying the flag in the face of uncertainty

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At a clip erstwhile nationalist pridefulness is surging, Londoners stock wherefore they consciousness it's important to alert the flag.

National pridefulness has been surging arsenic the U.S. threatens Canada, and successful London that's nary different

Alessio Donnini · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 6:46 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5

Ellie Cartman stands connected her beforehand structure adjacent to the ample emblem she proudly flies connected her property.

On the archetypal time of a recently launched commercialized warfare betwixt Canada and the United States, Canadian pridefulness is connected show connected the streets of London, Ont.

It's not a bombastic, over-the-top show filled with elephantine nationalist symbols, lights and more, but alternatively 1 that's markedly Canadian successful its humbleness.

On immoderate streets, recently erected flags bearing the iconic maple leafage bent from houses. On others, signs speechmaking "Happy Canada Day" person been pulled retired of retention and planted connected snowbanks. Some homes person aggregate flags and immoderate person different nationalist symbols proudly displayed.

"We've each softly celebrated our Canadian-ness successful the past, but determination seems to beryllium a threat coming from southbound of the border, and it's important to let the radical down determination know, no, we're not funny successful being portion of your country," said Ellie Cartman, a Wortley Village nonmigratory who has a ample Canadian emblem affixed to the beforehand of her home.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump launched a long-dreaded commercialized warfare with Canada by imposing 25 per cent tariffs against astir Canadian goods brought into the U.S. and 10 per cent tariffs connected Canadian energy. Alongside respective months of threats, Trump has been making progressively nonstop comments that helium believes Canada should beryllium absorbed into his country.

As a result, implicit the past respective weeks owners and employees astatine stores that merchantability flags and different nationalist symbols person told CBC News their income person skyrocketed.

A enactment of houses each flying Canadian flags successful London's Wortley Village neighbourhood.

Although she's pleased to hear there's been a newfound surge of nationalist pridefulness and galore are flocking to the emblem astatine a clip galore judge Canada's sovereignty is connected the line, Cartman said she's been proudly displaying the emblem connected her spot since 2018.

"I deliberation it's great. We emotion our country. It's a fantastic mode of life," she said. "It shows a definite magnitude of solidarity that typically we don't exhibit, but we ever cognize it's there. It especially shows up astatine hockey games."

To Cartman, the emblem is simply a show of Canadian values that she plans to alert arsenic agelong arsenic she can.

"I think the mean values of Canadians are that we enactment things similar tolerance, and dissimilar different countries, we are not a melting pot. We're a taste mosaic. I find myself enriched by different people's cultures," Cartman said.

"Here we are surviving each together, with all these antithetic views of the universe. It's a fantastic thing."

Terry Lavergne, displaying comedic creation helium created showing Canadian flags being planted to demarcate the Canada-US border.

Several houses down, different large flag proudly flies, affixed to the location of Terry Lavergne. The Londoner said he's taken the U.S. president's actions to heart, similar galore different Canadians.

"We're truthful profoundly offended and betrayed. It's boycott American for me. I've already spent a period looking astatine places wherever I can shop better," helium said, referring to a increasing bargain Canadian question that started erstwhile tariff threats were archetypal threatened.

Lavergne, too, has been flying the emblem for years. He said helium feels that show of nationalist pridefulness is important, but it's particularly important now.

"This mightiness beryllium 1 of the astir superior challenges we've ever faced. I'm 68 years old. I've lived a damn bully beingness successful Canada," Lavergne said. "I've been done escaped commercialized negotiations before. This is antithetic and everybody feels that. As I say, Canada is worthy warring for and we'll beryllium okay."

Dozens of radical dusted disconnected Canada Day signs that walk astir of the twelvemonth successful retention to amusement their pridefulness by planting the signs successful snowfall banks.

Lavergne said he's noticed a important summation successful the fig of neighbours flying the flag, and that makes him proud.

"Out of each the countries connected this planet, Canada has the brightest future. The aboriginal is ours. It's not the Americans. Canada is worthy warring for, and that's damn good what we're going to do," helium said.