Manitoba sees surge in Canadian flag sales
Posted February 13, 2025 5:05 pm.
Last Updated February 14, 2025 10:13 am.
The demand for Canadian flags is surging here in Manitoba and places like The Flag Shop in Winnipeg are seeing the national symbols fly off its shelves, with staff saying they have seen non-stop sales over the past two days.
That’s at least in part due to rising anger against U.S. tariffs and an open letter from five of Canada’s former Prime Ministers calling on members of the public to raise the flag in an act of pride against the pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of National Flag Day.
“It’s opened up a whole wonderful venue of pride for Canada,” said Wayne Bruce, a proud Canadian.
He’s been flying a Canadian flag at his home for the past 32 years and stopped by The Flag Store to purchase even more flags in preparation for Saturday, which marks the 60-year anniversary of the event.
Bruce isn’t alone in his feelings of Canadian pride, with those at The Flag Shop saying they’ve been much busier than usual.
“We’ve sold more in this past week than we would have sold in a year in some sizes,” said Mathew Hobson, a sales associate with The Flag Shop. “So, we’re starting to sew some flags in the back, and getting stock levels back up again.”
Stores like The Flag Shop are struggling to keep up with demand for Canadian flags, and while Canada Day is typically their busiest time of the year, they’re now seeing a steady stream of customers, some of them purchasing their first Canadian flag ever.
“Maybe half the customers we’ve seen are buying their first flag in years and making sure that they get a proud display ahead of this weekend,” said Hobson.
However, for long-time flag raisers like Bruce, who says he hoists a Canadian flag from a 35-foot pole in his backyard, he says the show of patriotic pride is an important one.
“I think it has given us a big kick to stand tall and promote our great country,” he said.
It’s a sentiment expressed by Manitoba’s Premier Wab Kinew who is in Washington D.C. with several other premiers to meet with members of the Trump administration.
“I encourage Manitobans and Canadians to fly that maple leaf, stand for the anthem and shout, ‘True North’ while you’re singing it too,” the Premier said. “I do that to acknowledge the sacrifice of the veterans, give thanks for the opportunity I’ve been given by the country, and I do it as a point of pride.”
