Massive Canadian flag on B.C. lake created as show of pride amid Trump threats

A group of 12 seniors in Kelowna, B.C., created this Canadian flag on a frozen lake ahead of Flag Day.

A dozen seniors in B.C. spent more than three hours creating a massive display of patriotic pride on a frozen lake, arranging snow into the shape of the Canadian flag.

The group, all residents of Holiday Park Resort in Kelowna, was organized by Stuart Sutton who said the project was timed to honour Flag Day on Saturday – acknowledging that tariff threats and annexation rhetoric from the U.S. president have lent a sense of urgency to shows of national pride and unity.

“Why not have a big flag on the lake?” he said, recalling the moment the idea came to him while he was ice skating on Ellison Lake, also known as Duck Lake. “We certainly need a rally point, and a common rally point for us is the country and the flag.”

The flag is 320 feet long by 160 feet high, and visible from planes departing and landing at nearby Kelowna International Airport. Sutton said he meticulously mapped out the dimensions, using twine wrapped around ice spikes to create the outlines on the lake.

Among those who helped was 87-year-old Arnold Sutton, who remembers the day 60 years ago when the Maple Leaf was unveiled as the new national symbol, and who says he’s been “flying it ever since.”

Describing himself as a proud Canadian, he says he’s been making an effort to buy local products since Donald Trump announced his plan to hit the country with punishing, across-the-board tariffs – taking a magnifying glass to the grocery store to read fine print on the labels.

Spending a few hours working with his neighbours to shovel snow into the shape of a flag was something he was happy to do to send a message.

“We are Canadians; we’re proud to be Canadians,” he said.

Ahead of Flag Day, all five living former prime ministers penned an open letter urging people to celebrate the holiday “as never before” in response to “threats and insults” from south of the border.

“Let’s fly our flag with pride. Let’s show the world that we are proud of our history and proud of our country,” wrote Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper.

On Saturday, a small crowd gathered by the flag on the lake – many dressed in red and displaying flags, some sporting hockey sticks and Team Canada jerseys – and sang the national anthem.

Maggie Graham was there, and said she was heartened by the gathering – while also noting that it comes at a troubling political moment.

“I think it’s really important now to show our spirit, especially to our young ones, the next generation,” she said. “We’re a little bit afraid of what’s happening down south but it does affect us. We need to prove that we are Canadian, we are not another state and we are special,” she said.

“Everybody that was here today has that same spirit, and as long as we have that we’re not going anywhere.”