The mayor of Collingwood may be following Barrie’s lead when it comes to removing American flags from town facilities.
On Tuesday, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall ordered the American flags be removed from all City of Barrie facilities as American tariffs of 25 per cent on all Canadian goods began Tuesday, signalling a trade war between the two nations.
When contacted by CollingwoodToday, Mayor Yvonne Hamlin said she was currently looking into who has to consent to remove the flag from Town of Collingwood facilities. There are currently U.S. flags displayed at the Eddie Bush Memorial arena and the Central Park arena.
“If it is anyone other than me, we will reach out to them today,” Hamlin told CollingwoodToday on Wednesday.
“It is a gesture that I am in support of as we face this economic war that has been declared upon us,” she said.
The Collingwood Junior A Blues do play the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in regular season, meaning the American team plays in Collingwood occasionally.
On Tuesday, Nuttall said that if U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision on tariffs were to be reversed, only then would the City of Barrie consider putting the flags back up.
“This is the flag of the commander-in-chief, the U.S. president, who is threatening our sovereignty, our security, our right to self-determination and freedoms,” Nuttall said. “He is threatening our jobs, the finances of families and attempting to take food off our tables.”
The tariffs went into effect at midnight on March 4.
-- With files from Bob Bruton