Locals ready to rally around the flag

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This article was published 13/02/2025 (206 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A joint letter written by five of Canada’s former prime ministers telling Canadians to fly the flag like “never before” has caught the attention of western Manitobans, including Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett and Brian Midwinter, the honorary lieutenant-colonel with the 26th Field Regiment, XII Manitoba Dragoons.

“We do need to show a unified front,” Midwinter said, “even if only to ourselves. But others will be watching.”

This Saturday is National Flag of Canada Day, which was declared in 1996 to honour the first time that the red-and-white Maple Leaf flag was raised on Parliament Hill — Feb. 15, 1965.

In their joint statement, former prime ministers Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper asked Canadians to express their national pride and “show the flag” as U.S. President Donald Trump continues his tariff threats and suggestions that Canada become his country’s 51st state.

“Let’s fly our flag with pride,” the former first ministers wrote. “Let’s show the world that we are proud of our history and proud of our country.

“The five of us come from different parties. We’ve had our share of battles in the past. But we all agree on one thing: Canada, the true north, strong and free, the best country in the world, is worth celebrating and fighting for,” the letter said.

Clark and Campbell both represented the Progressive Conservatives, Chrétien and Martin the Liberals and Harper the Conservative Party of Canada.

The Canadian flag will fly as it does every day outside the Brandon Armoury, which houses the 26th Field Regiment RCA/XII Manitoba Dragoons Museum, assured Midwinter.

He was a serving officer with the 26th Field Regiment from 1973 to 1993 and is currently the honorary lieutenant-colonel and vice-president of the museum.

The flag, now 60 years old, said Midwinter, is a unifying symbol for the country and is one that he has proudly served under since the mid 1960s.

“I have served it since 1965 when on school patrol, then in Scouts, as a reservist, as a lawyer and as a judge on two different levels of court,” Midwinter said.

“The flag is extremely important to me. It is an international symbol that is trusted pretty much everywhere, and people know that it’s us and not our neighbours to the south.

“They also know there are differences in our approaches to things like international affairs and international aid, and we’re not there to take things over or to impose anything,” he said.

As Fawcett read the open letter by the former prime ministers, he said he remembered two historically important flags in the archives at Brandon City Hall — the Union Jack and the Canadian Red Ensign.

“I thought there was a chance we had them in our archives,” Fawcett said. “The information we have is they both came from a Brandon school and they pre-date the Maple Leaf flag that we fly today.”

Canada used the United Kingdom’s Royal Union Flag, commonly known as the Union Jack, both before and after Confederation in 1867.

The Canadian Red Ensign featured the shield of Canada’s national coat of arms from 1921 to 1957. In 1957, the colour of the maple leaves on the coat of arms was changed from green to red, and it’s that version that was used until 1965, according to the Government of Canada website.

City hall will observe Saturday’s Flag Day “with pride,” Fawcett said.

“Everybody who lives in this city is a proud Canadian, and we have the five living ex-prime ministers all saying, get behind this. So, absolutely, yes, let’s make sure we do.

“On this 60th anniversary, let’s just remind everybody that this is who we are as a nation, and how proud we are of our flag,” Fawcett said.

The Maple Leaf flag was the centre of controversy 60 years ago, said Tom Mitchell, a retired Brandon University archivist.

Then-prime minister Lester B. Pearson wanted a new flag that was distinctly Canadian and one that was a departure from the Union Jack.

Opposition leader John Diefenbaker wanted to keep the Red Ensign.

“So, it was a real struggle for the Liberal Party and Lester Pearson to actually get a Canadian flag approved, amid fierce debate, fight and consternation,” said Mitchell.

“When the flag was first raised in Ottawa, John Diefenbaker refused to show up,” he said.

But the flag has evolved to be a symbol of Canada, Mitchell added, one that is known and respected around the world. He will fly his in solidarity.

“It’s a great idea, and the willingness of people to celebrate and fly the flag is an indication of how this crisis that we’re in has drawn people together,” Mitchell said.

“It’s a terrific way for Canadians to say to the Americans, we’re here, we plan to stay here, we’re very proud of who we are and what we’ve accomplished together, and we plan to do that for many, many years to come.

“So, start treating us in a civil manner.”

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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