Giant Canadian flag flies high over Windsor
'It shows deep in the heart how we really feel about the country and we need to share that with everybody'
With mouths wide open, staring straight up into the sky, hundreds of people watched as Windsor's massive Canadian flag was hoisted into the air.
The flag is 18 metres wide and sits on top of a 45-metre high pole. It's found at the foot of Ouellette Avenue, looking over the Detroit River.
The Great Canadian Flag Project has been fundraising for five years to erect the massive flag. The group has raised $330,000 to make this happen, just $20 thousand short of their budget goal.
Huge flag is finally up! Feeling proud! <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCWindsor">@CBCWindsor</a> <a href="https://t.co/xeZAPYxxeG">pic.twitter.com/xeZAPYxxeG</a>
—@megdrobertsPeter Hrastovec was the leader for the group that oversaw and pushed for the project.
"Its surreal, it's a celebration… Five years of hard work but it means a team working together and a community that is very, very supportive," said Hrastovec. "It means all of us celebrating what is so good about being Canadian."
Eric Chandiga is originally from Uganda and now calls Windsor home. He says watching the flag go up was a reminder of what a welcoming place Canada has been for him.
"I think a flag is the greatest symbol of the country...It shows deep in the heart how we really feel about the country and we need to share that with everybody," he said.