Resident feels 'relief' after Confederate flag taken down from Binbrook home

Amie Archibald-Varley said she felt a "sense of relief" when she drove through her neighbourhood in rural Hamilton on Sunday and didn't see a Confederate flag blowing in the wind.

"This wasn't a good thing to see in our community," she said in an interview on Monday.

Archibald-Varley raised concerns about the flag last week. Police couldn't remove it because it's legal to fly it on private property, which prompted calls from the Hamilton community and anti-racism organizations for tougher hate-crime and hate-symbol legislation.

The Confederate battle flag was flown during the U.S. Civil War, notoriously by Gen. Robert E. Lee's army that fought to preserve slavery, and became synonymous with the secessionist states.

The symbol was later resurrected during the civil rights movement by those opposed to equal rights for Black people, and has since been associated with white supremacist groups.

Last summer, Hamilton city council voted to ban the flag from city property, classifying it as a hate symbol. Police acknowledged it would only be considered a crime if an investigation revealed that placement of the flag was motivated by hate.

"It celebrates the slavery and murder of a Black person," Canadian-Anti Hate Network deputy director Elizabeth Simons previously said.

The homeowner previously told CBC Hamilton they were flying the flag as a symbol of freedom.

They didn't respond to requests for comment on Sunday and Monday.

Archibald-Varley participated in a community walk on Saturday where she and anti-racism groups walked around the neighbourhood to educate people about the flag.

Archibald-Varley said her partner and three kids were in the car with her on Sunday when they drove by the home to see the flag gone.

"It was an important moment for all of us," she said.

Archibald-Varley said there's still work ahead and hopes to do more community advocacy.

She also said she's willing to speak with the homeowners about the flag if they're open to it.

But if it goes up again, Archibald-Varley has no doubt about what she'll do.

"I'll be back out there saying stuff about it and saying we don't want hate here. It's not just about that individual — it's about what that symbol means."