‘Proud of our country’: Pride in Canadian flag surges as battle with Trump continues
Global News
The red and white has been a symbol of national pride for many decades, and in the wake of Donald Trump's anti-Canadian rhetoric, a sense of patriotism is sweeping the country.
The Maple Leaf has been a symbol of national pride for many decades, and in the wake of Donald Trump’s anti-Canadian rhetoric, a sense of patriotism is sweeping the country including a reclaiming of the flag.
The sense of pride comes after Trump has repeatedly said Canada should become the 51st American state.
Feb. 15 marks the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag after it was first raised in 1965.
“This year, more than ever, not only do we have to celebrate our flag but also remind ourselves what it represents: our values, our resilience and our sovereignty,” minister Pascale St-Onge said.
“This national emblem represents the values we all cherish — generosity, openness, respect and equality. A flag that could not be mistaken for any other, it connects us to our national identity, to our Canadian pride and to each other. Seeing our bright red and white flag with its maple leaf flying reminds us of the home we all share.
A Leger poll published this week found Trump’s threats are driving a swell of national pride, with 85 per cent of Canadians saying they feel proud to be Canadian.
Stewart Prest, a political science lecturer at the University of British Columbia, said people are again seeing the flag as a symbol of tolerance and inclusion, and of Canadian distinctiveness from the United States. During the “Freedom Convoy” protests, it “came to symbolize a new form of identity,” he said, but now Canadians of all political stripes are being urged to wave it proudly.
“The flag flies for all,” he said.
The ceasefire's first phase is set to end in two weeks and the second phase has yet to be negotiated, though talks were meant to begin two weeks ago.
The proposal did not offer any specific security guarantees in return, according to one current and one former senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks.
European leaders are reeling after Trump's decision to upend years of U.S. policy by holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes of ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Sources told Reuters that the United States had sent a document to European capitals asking questions that include possible future troop contributions.
It is the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19. Before Saturday, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners were freed.
The latest fighting is part of a major escalation of a conflict over power, identity and resources dating back to the 1990s Rwandan genocide.
The red and white has been a symbol of national pride for many decades, and in the wake of Donald Trump's anti-Canadian rhetoric, a sense of patriotism is sweeping the country.
U.S. Vice-President JD Vance warned governments that internal threats to democracy are a greater threats than external antagonists like China and Russia.
Alarmed that U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere, a group of European countries has been working on a plan to send troops into Ukraine to enforce any peace settlement.
"There is no talk about strikes on nuclear infrastructure, nuclear energy facilities," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, denying Russia had any responsibility.
Ukrainians who fled to Canada following Russia's invasion say they feel betrayed by U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on the prospects for peace in Ukraine.
NATO's secretary-general said as the U.S. proceeds on Ukraine peace talks with Russia, the alliance will work to ensure Moscow never tries to attack Ukraine again.
European officials took an exceptionally firm line in public towards Trump's peace overture, saying they and the Ukrainians must be included in any negotiations.