Flying the Flag of Defiance

Canadians will be waving the flag proudly on Flag Day

On Saturday we will mark the 60th anniversary of Flag Day, when the red and white flag of the maple leaf was unveiled.

Flag Day has even more importance now with American President Donald Trump constantly threatening to turn Canada into the 51st state.

The latest Leger poll found 85 percent of Canadians are proud to be Canadian.

Earlier this week five former prime ministers: Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chretien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper signed a joint statement encouraging Canadians to fly the flag as "never before" with pride.

"Let's show the world that we are proud of our history and proud of our country," the statement said.

Bradley Miller, associate professor of history at the University of British Columbia, said the design of the flag, with no military or religious symbols, makes it adaptable.

"It represents whatever we want it to represent," he said. "Having a symbol, a flag, that is as much a blank slate as ours is an advantage to a country that needs to be able to accommodate."

In the current situation, he said the flag is a symbol of defiance.

"As often happens in history, an external threat can resolve our internal doubts," Miller said. "I think that's happened here, at least right now."