Latest news with #CanadianFlags
National Post
a day ago
- Politics
- National Post
Burlington Vermont is renaming a street in Canada's honour (for a while)
Article content The City of Burlington, Vt., has announced it will rename one of its central avenues from Church Street to Canada Street, from now until Labour Day (or Labor Day as it's known there). Article content The name change was presented by a group of city councillors at their June 16 meeting, led by Councillor Becca Brown McKnight, who wore a maple leaf shirt and handed out Canadian flags to the other councillors. Article content Article content Article content 'We have been fed up with Donald Trump's damaging and insulting rhetoric towards Canada,' Brown McKnight told CTV News this week. 'Renaming a street is something quick and easy for us to do, but also sends a message that we are in this fight with you.' Article content Article content Church Street, named after the First Unitarian Universalist Church that sits at its north end, is a pedestrian-only retail hub of downtown Burlington and home to its popular Church Street Marketplace. Article content Vermont's most populous city at 45,000, Burlington is less than 100 kms from the Quebec border by car, and is in one of two states where French is the second most common language spoken after English, the other being Louisiana. So it has also offered Rue de Canada as the French-language name for the street. Back in 2011, Burlington's city council also voted to add French to its local signage, though the move was a recommendation rather than a law. Article content The new resolution passed unanimously, although one councillor expressed frustration with 'performative' actions and said she hopes there will be further actions taken to support tourism and local businesses. Burlington city council says that more than 15 per cent of its summer tourism dollars typically come from Canadian visitors. However, visits by Canadians to the U.S. have fallen off since Donald Trump's tariff threats and talk of annexation. Article content Article content In the 1960s, the city joined with Burlington, Ont., to found the Burlington International Games, which eventually expanded to include Burlington, Iowa, and some non-Burlington cities, before ceasing in 2010 due to limited participation.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Canadian pride on display with 60 new flags in downtown Chatham
A patriotic display of red and white is turning heads in downtown Chatham with the installation of 60 new Canadian flags. The initiative, led by the Downtown Chatham BIA, aims to beautify the core and boost community spirit. Lucinda Harp, a BIA board member who brought the idea forward, said she was inspired by her hometown of Cobourg and the neighbouring town of Port Hope. 'Every year businesses and residents show their patriotism by putting out Canadian flags,' Harp said. 'I thought with everything happening in the world it would be a nice idea for our downtown to do something similar. When I brought the idea to the board, there was unanimous support.' Chatham flag installation Source: Downtown Chatham BIA. JP Contractors handled the installation work. 'We do a lot of different jobs, but this one is definitely near and dear to our hearts as a proud Canadian company,' said Martin Horneman of JP Contractors. Chatham-Kent councillor and BIA board member Conor Allin said finding financial support was a 'no brainer.' 'A project like this can really unite a downtown, and with the availability of the Hydro One grant funding, it was made possible,' Allin said. Andrew Thiel, co-chair of the Downtown Chatham BIA, called the flags 'just the beginning' of ongoing efforts to revitalize the downtown. 'Retrofest is next weekend, we will be replacing the River Rock mural in June, and we have some amazing announcements coming up right up until the end of the year,' Thiel said. 'There is a fantastic board in place, with an incredibly enthusiastic executive director — the sky is the limit for the next few years.' A second round of flag installations is expected in late June or early July to include more businesses that were unable to participate initially. The BIA is encouraging interested business owners within the downtown core to reach out by email at downtownchathambia@ to secure a spot. Those requiring commercial installations outside the BIA area can contact JP Contractors via for assistance with the permit process.
