The Orillia Canada Day committee wants residents to wave the nation’s flag proudly on July 1, and there are plenty of small flags to go around.
Between the flags the committee has in storage and another batch it received for this year’s Canada Day celebration, which has been cancelled, there are 10,000 available.
Brian Hare, the committee’s manager of operations, will be handing the flags out at his home at 97 Dunlop St. on June 27 from 12 to 3 p.m. or until they’re gone. He will be providing up to 10 flags for each vehicle.
“With Canada Day celebrations being cancelled this year, rather than have (the flags) sit around, let’s get them out there,” Hare said.
Committee members would usually be busy right now getting ready for a July 1 party, and Hare would have been at the farmers’ market handing out the flags and selling Canada Day items as a fundraiser. While it feels “bizarre” to not be doing that, he wants to make the best of it.
“It is what it is this year,” he said. “Hopefully, we can do something later in the year, but at least people can celebrate in their own groups with the flags.”
Hare is hopeful there will be fireworks this year, but it’ll be a belated celebration if the committee can pull it off. The goal is to put on a fireworks show around Thanksgiving.
In the meantime, he is encouraging people to stop by on the 27th and pick up some free flags.
Hare is asking everyone to enter Dunlop Street off of Colborne Street, drive to his property — where there will be a tent decked out with flags — pick up their flags and proceed south so there won’t be issues with traffic. He is not allowing walk-ups or pickup from the other side of the street.
