West Lincoln debates taking U.S. flag down from community centre in Smithville

Amid tariff threats and talks of Canada becoming the 51st American state, a township committee member in West Lincoln in the Niagara Region is asking for public input regarding temporarily taking the U.S. flag down at a local community centre.

The township’s committee voted 4-3 on Tuesday evening to only display an American flag in the West Lincoln Community Centre in Smithville when an American team is in town. Currently the ‘Stars and Stripes’ is up year-round at the centre.

Ward 3 Smithville councillor William Reilly brought forward the motion, saying that recent statements from President Trump and the introduction of tariffs on Canadian goods and products caused himself and some other councillors to start questioning why the U.S. flag is permanently up at the community centre and its ice rink.

Reilly says the fact the U.S. flag is up all year is “not by direction of any previous Councils.”

“Staff just took it upon themselves years ago to do so which then just became the norm,” he explains.

The resolution put forward is also to review the township’s flag building policy to “address these types of situations moving forward,” says Reilly, who adds that various concerns regarding the issue were debated in the meeting, including possibly offending Americans.

Reilly took to social media this week to ask the local community for its input regarding flying the U.S. flag.

“Should their flag only be up when an American team is visiting or should it be up 24/7/365 days a week…?” the councillor asked on his Facebook page.

The West Lincoln Community Centre has a large library, indoor and outdoor walking tracks, an ice pad with 450-person seating, gym and multi-purpose community rooms.

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