The decision to remove the American flag in one small Simcoe County town is sparking discussion about the Canad—U.S. relationship. Meaford council voted on Monday night to remove the American flag that was flying high in Market Square, right beside Town Hall. Meaford Mayor Ross Kentner tells CTV News it’s the “pressures against our sovereignty” that has citizens angry. “As President Trump continued to use and abuse Canadians, people have got their backs up,” Kentner says. Staff brought the report and recommendation to council and as a result, the flag was voted to come down with five votes against one. While it wasn’t unanimous, Councillor Harley Greenfield, the sole councillor who voted against the recommendation, was in favour of bringing down the American flag to half-mast instead. His reasoning was that it could be a symbol of Canadians grieving the loss of the relationship we had with the U.S. “The flag just sort of became a flashpoint for the anger against President Trump,” Kentner says. “We all like Americans, we just dislike being used the way he’s treated us in the recent past.” The American flag is down at all municipal properties but there’s one location in the town where it remains: the Major-General Richard Rohmer Meaford International Airport. The motion came with two amendments, one being to inform the U.S. embassy of the decision and the other to revisit it within two years. Kentner says he thinks the flag will eventually go back up as Canada has had a history of trade wars with the U.S. Personally, Kentner says he would have left the flag as is but believes he made the right decision with his vote. “I owe my fellow councillors a lot more than I owe Mr. Trump,” says Kentner.
