One of Ontario’s biggest cities has started removing American flags from its facilities and plans to install giant Canadian symbols as tensions between the two countries continue.
Mississauga, which is located immediately to the west of Toronto, said over the weekend that the process was underway to remove the U.S. flags from its buildings.
Mayor Carolyn Parrish announced the move in a social media post on Saturday, saying it had come “at the request of many.”
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Parrish said the city would remove the stars and stripes flying at sports arenas and in various locations on the edge of Lake Ontario.
“Oversized Canadian flags (15’x30’) are ordered and will be installed on all the poles at City Hall,” she wrote.
The flag removal decision comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues threats to annex Canada and make it America’s 51st state. The White House is also in the midst of a bitter trade and tariff dispute with its neighbour.
Those threats have seen the U.S. anthem booed at sporting events across the country, including during the 4 Nations faceoff match between the United States and Canada in Montreal.
It has also led the Ontario government to ban American companies from bidding on public contracts and British Columbia to exclude Tesla — run by Trump’s advisor Elon Musk — from public rebate programs.
The City of Barrie removed American flags from its facilities recently, while West Lincoln Township has done the same.
— The Canadian Press
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