During their first meeting back after their summer break, Meaford’s council considered a recommendation to remove the American flag from Market Square, beside Meaford Hall.
“This Report has been brought directly to Council for consideration of the potential immediate removal of the flag of the United States of America from the Municipal flagpole at Market Square. The recommendation to remove the flag is related to the increasingly strained relationship between Canada’s federal government and leadership of the government currently in power in the United States of America, particularly as it pertains to trade and the imposition of tariffs on Canadian products,” staff wrote in a report to council presented at the September 14 meeting. “Staff are recommending that, based on the current state of the trade relationship with between Canada and of the United States of America, related impacts on Canadian businesses, and on feedback received from residents, consideration of the continued flying of the flag of the United States of America be at Councils discretion with the benefit of further deliberations.”
In their report staff noted that the consideration for removing the American flag from Market Square should not be seen as disrespect to the American people, but rather an expression of opposition to the actions that have been taken by President Donald Trump.
“The potential discontinuation of the flying of the United States of America’s flag on flagpoles on municipal lands is not a reflection or disrespect of American people, however, should be viewed as strong opposition in the actions being imposed by the leadership of the United States of America,” staff wrote in their report to council. “The Municipality has a rich and historically significant agricultural economy. Additionally, the local community is rooted in and proud of its natural assets, recreational, and culturally based tourism economy. Each of these sectors is being negatively impacted by the actions of the trade actions of the government in power in the United States of America.”
Members of council had a range of views on the recommendation, and they discussed the agenda item for nearly an hour before voting on a motion that would see the flag removed from Market Square temporarily.
Councillors noted the long-time friendship and alliance with the United States, as well as strong the economic and social ties between Canada and the United States, but they also expressed that given the recent tariff war launched by the United States that a message should be sent by temporarily removing the flag of the United States from Market Square.
“This is pretty sad. It really is,” Councillor Tony Bell told council. “It’s the president of the United States, he chooses to willingly, and knowingly forget. He forgets what happened with hurricane Katrina, when Canadians sent water to those folks. He chooses to forget what we have just remembered last Friday (September 11), Canadians lost their lives in the twin towers. Mr. Trump also forgets the Canadian forces and American forces work together.”
Councillor Bell noted that he, like many Canadians, has family living in the United States, and he highlighted the strong and long-standing relationship between the two countries, and he noted that Canada’s current conflict is not with the American people, but instead President Trump.
“It’s not the people, it’s the president. And he wilfully wants to call Lake Ontario a different name, he wants to do this stuff. There are lots of adjectives in the dictionary to describe a man like that, and he is all of them, and maybe more,” Bell told council.
A proposal to fly the U.S. flag at half mast did not find the support of council as it would not conform to standard flag protocol.
Ultimately council voted 5-1 (Councillor Greenfield voted against, and Councillor Forder was absent from the meeting) in favour of temporarily removing the American flag from Market Square, with a plan to revisit the issue as well as the municipal flag and water tower lighting policy within two years, after the relationship with the United States has hopefully improved. The amended motion approved by council also directs staff to send a letter to the American embassy in Ottawa to explain the temporary removal of the American flag.
