City of Ottawa to raise U.S. flag to celebrate Independence Day despite trade tensions

Ottawa Citizen

3 days ago

The City of Ottawa will fly the U.S. flag on July 4th to celebrate Independence Day, a decision that is drawing mixed feelings from the city's residents.
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Since Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2025, the U.S. president launched a tariff war with Canada and repeatedly expressed a desire to turn it into the '51st state.'
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'No Tyrants, No Kings' rallies have shaken up Ottawa's downtown scene, with many protestors occupying the streets in front of the U.S. Embassy near ByWard Market.
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Despite the public's response, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said that the City will fly the Star-Spangled Banner on Marion Dewar Plaza, as it does every year. This follows the city's flag protocol, which states that the flag of every country Canada has diplomatic relations with will be raised on their national holiday.
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Sutcliffe says the U.S. Independence Day is another opportunity to highlight the long, shared history between the two nations and the 'deep, lasting friendship'.
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'Now, more than ever, we should focus on building relationships and working together,' he said in a statement to the Citizen.
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Nancy Wasserman, who holds Canadian and American dual citizenship, says July 4th represents the 'revolutionary spirit of the U.S. founders.' She says there is more to the flag than the Trump administration.
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'The fact is the American flag belongs to all Americans, not just the ones who are currently running the government,' she said.
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Wasserman is one of the founders of Indivisible Ottawa, a group advocating for Canada's sovereignty and people targeted by the U.S. administration. She says many Americans who live in Ottawa oppose the current policies and actions of the Trump administration but still believe in 'the promise' of what the flag represents.
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'Independence, no authoritarianism and what the Constitution says and stands for,' she said. 'It's important for all of us to remember that we can be opposed to a government but that doesn't mean we're vehemently opposed to the flag.'
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Elliot Tepper, a Carleton University professor of international relations, says continuity between countries is important, even during times of tension.
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'It would be a startling change if the city broke its long-standing tradition in this period,' he said.
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Tepper says he wouldn't be surprised if Canadians felt alienated or disagreed with the city's decision to move forward with the flag raising. He noted that the 'rupture of trust' occurred over and over again with Trump's behaviour, including threatening Canadian sovereignty.
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'No one will trust the U.S. government again, particularly in Canada, but our ties with the U.S. run much deeper than government-to-government relations,' Tepper said.
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He also notes that Canada is entering a 'new era' with fewer internal trade barriers to reduce reliance on the U.S. for trade stability and predictability in the economy.