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Barrie's massive flag will honour Canada during the trade war

The flag will fly on a 150-foot pole

Barrie will fly its new Canadian flag in time for July 1.

With the 150-foot flag pole now constructed at the Barrie-Simcoe Emergency Services Campus on Fairview Road, all that’s needed is the flag itself for Canada Day.

And it’s scheduled to go up at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 26.

The Canadian flag that will fly there is 35 by 70 feet in size, even larger than the 20 by 40 foot flag currently flying in the Sault. 

The flag pole was manufactured and installed by Ewing Flagpole, while the Canadian flag itself comes from the Flag Store, a Barrie company.

The projected budget is $250,000 and is fully funded by local developer Skyline.

The flag pole has been installed behind the emergency campus, but is visible from many locations, including Highway 400.

A March 26 city council direct motion to install a pole committed spending as much as $250,000 from its reinvestment reserve. 

But in early April, Mayor Alex Nuttall used his strong mayor powers to authorize acceptance of a contribution from developer Skyline to pay for a flag pole and Canadian flag alongside Highway 400.

Nuttall said at the time this decision and partnership reflects the city’s commitment to respond to tariff action from the United States, while also showing national pride.

The flag is to honour this country during the trade war with the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada an American state.

Nuttall has said the emergency campus is a good location, as Highway 400 has considerable traffic year-round — but at no time is it more than on Canada Day.

Skyline, the Guelph-based company behind a large residential development on Grove Street West at the former YMCA site, said it would cover the cost of the flag and its pole being up in time for Canada Day.

Nuttall’s strong mayor powers override council’s direct motion, which said notwithstanding the city’s procurement bylaw (how the city purchases goods and services), city staff retain a company to construct the 150-foot flagpole (to include the Canadian flag) no later than July 1, 2025, with a project budget of $250,000, to be funded from the reinvestment reserve.



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