O Canada! Maple Leafs flying off store shelves ahead of Flag Day
2 flag shops in Dartmouth seeing sales spike as people show their national pride
Canadian flags are flying off the shelves of two Dartmouth flag stores ahead of the weekend.
In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to impose punishing tariffs and annex Canada as a 51st state, all of the country's living former prime ministers have urged Canadians to proudly display the red and white Maple Leaf in honour of Flag Day, which is observed annually on Feb. 15.
Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper jointly wrote an open letter encouraging Canadians to "fly our flag with pride" and "show the world that we are proud of our history and proud of our country."
Carole Aylard, who has worked at the Flag Shop in Dartmouth for almost 30 years, said she has never seen so many people buying Maple Leafs for Flag Day.
"Flag Day has not always been a real event, but this year it definitely is and [people are] definitely upset with what is happening politically and wanting to support the country," Aylard said.
"Our seamers have been going crazy sewing all January because it's a slower time for us, so we've been preparing for Canada Day. Little did we know we'd be preparing for Flag Day."
Since his inauguration last month, Trump has repeatedly mocked Canada's economy and military and has threatened to use "economic force" to somehow convince Canadians to join the U.S. as the 51st state.
This week, all 13 Canadian premiers travelled to Washington, D.C., to advocate against the tariffs on Canadian products.
Robert Luer, who works at the Flag Emporium in Dartmouth, said he has also noticed a substantial increase in Canadian flag sales.
He said customers are concerned about Trump's threats.
"It's not just the tariffs that are driving the sales of the Canada flag. It's the challenge to our sovereignty and the threats that have been coming from Donald Trump," he said.
Luer, who is originally from the United Kingdom and later obtained his Canadian citizenship, said he does not want Canada to become part of the U.S., and said there's "not a snowball's chance in hell" that will happen, echoing the words of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Defence Minister Bill Blair said Tuesday that Trump's talk of absorbing Canada is "not a real threat."
Luer added that a portion of the store's Canadian flag sales have come from the United States, which he takes as a sign of support from some people south of the border.
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