Rejecting Trump’s Call to Annex Their Nation, Canadians Rally Around the Flag
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While Canadians are not generally known for flag waving, President Trump’s threats have led to a surge in flag sales and buffed up the national symbol’s image.
On a good day in February, Debbie Hartlen might sell one Canadian flag at her workshop in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where she sells flags. Now, daily sales have hit roughly 300 flags, and that’s not counting her larger online business.
President Trump’s plan to impose crippling tariffs on Canadian exports are seen as a devastating threat to many Canadian businesses and workers. His warning on trade — combined with his repeated calls for the United States to annex Canada — have the country’s flag makers struggling to keep up with suddenly soaring demand.
“Isn’t it wonderful?,” said Ms. Hartlen, who owns The Flag Shop Nova Scotia. “Thank you, Trump. Who would have thought we’d be saying that?”
The renewed interest in Canada’s maple leaf flag, fueled by intense opposition to Mr. Trump’s idea of making Canada the 51st state and his economic threats, comes as the red and white Canadian banner marks its 60th anniversary.
And for a nation where flag waving is less a part of life than in the United States and flags are generally less conspicuous, the Trump-fueled resurgence of Canadian patriotism has also revived the Canadian flag’s image.
The maple leaf flag, often flown upside down or from hockey sticks, became the defining symbol used by protesters who occupied and paralyzed Ottawa, Canada’s capital, for nearly a month in 2022 in response to Covid restrictions.