Patriotic pride, anger on display

As fiddle music played for thousands who gathered at the Manitoba legislature Sunday to celebrate what it means to be Canadian, a dirty, torn U.S. flag pressed into the ground drew its own crowd of spectators.

Winnipegger Elijah Kirton, who brought the flag with him, began to jig on top of it. People quickly circled around, clapping and cheering — a reaction that might have seemed unbelievable not so long ago.

“I have this flag like this to show that the U.S. has trampled over us for so long and has disrespected us, especially their crappy president,” Kirton, who is Métis, said of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has imposed tariffs on Canada and floated the idea of the country becoming America’s 51st state.

“It’s so frustrating, so I’m showing him what we think as Canadians of his damn country, his flag.”

Kirton was one of many who arrived wearing their Canadian pride on their sleeves — and bearing signs — at a Canadian pride rally hosted by the Manitoba government Sunday afternoon.

Posters with caricatures of Trump, flags of Canada and Ukraine tied to hockey sticks, waves of red and white jerseys and Canadian tuxedos, as well as performances by Indigenous community dancers, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Fred Penner, all had the same message: our country is not for sale.

Many, like Shelley Moore, had choice words for Trump.

“The orange monster thinks that he can come into our country and say, ‘We’re gonna take this, this and this?’” she said of Trump while waving a large Canadian flag. “Yeah, no, it’s not f—-ing likely.”

Premier Wab Kinew, who was the last speaker at the rally, said part of the decision to hold a rally at the legislature came from visiting schools and taking questions from children wondering if Canada was going to become the 51st state.

“I want all the kids out there to know that this country, the true north strong and free, is something for you to be proud of,” he said.

“I want you to be reassured and to be confident as Canadians, and to keep working together to make this country even better than it is today, so that the country you inherit, when it’s your turn to run things, is going to live up to the vision that you have in your hearts and minds.”

Kinew was joined by NDP and Tory MLAs at the rally, including interim Progressive Conservative leader Wayne Ewasko and Tory leadership hopeful Obby Khan.

“There was a real sense of Canadian pride in the air — standing together, strong and united, against Trump’s tariffs,” Khan said in an email after the rally. “So many of my conversations today reminded me just how powerful we are when we stand together — strong and free.”

Talking to kids about the tension between Canada and the U.S. is something that’s been on the mind of rally attendee Richard Antonio. A ventriloquist by trade, he came to the rally with his polar bear puppet, Hudson. He plans to start incorporating conversations about Canada into his performances at birthday parties and other events.

It’s a conversation he’s had to have with his own kids.

“I actually had a trip booked with my kids to Disney World. We had to cancel it,” Antonio said of the family’s vacation to Florida. “We had to take a little bit of a hit on it, too. It’s kind of sad, because we used to enjoy going to the U.S., and it’s not going to happen for at least four years, unless things change.”

Frances Smee made the trip into the city from Rosser to attend the rally, and was decked out in red and white from head to toe, including red gloves and boots.

She said attending was a way to make her patriotism clear; she and her husband have put up two flag poles in their yard, are trying their best to shop for Canadian products, and don’t plan to travel to the U.S. any time soon.

Canada’s upcoming federal election on April 28 is tied to that patriotism, she said, and Canada’s sovereignty is her No. 1 election issue.

“Mark Carney, to me, is the only person that would be able to get us through what’s happening… I think we need to make sure he’s at the helm to take us through,” she said of the newly minted prime minister and Liberal leader seeking to be elected.

“I certainly don’t want (Pierre) Poilievre, he’s a mini Trump, he’s shown that by his rhetoric,” she said of the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada who is fighting to become prime minister.

Others at the rally weren’t as decided.

Paul Skakum said he’s concerned about how Canada is going to make it through the turmoil with the U.S., but is waiting to see how the federal parties promise to handle the nation’s natural resources before he makes his vote.

“We can use our resources to save our country,” he said. “I’m kind of on the fence. I’m not in favour of everything Poilievre stands for, but if Carney is not going to build pipelines, I think I’m going to have to go Conservative on this vote,” Skakum said, arguing harvesting natural resources will keep Canada strong.

The rally ended with iconic Canadian children’s entertainer Fred Penner leading a sing-along.

In between songs, Penner asked the crowd to repeat back to him two phrases: “Home is where the heart is,” and “Home is where we learn to love.”

“And that means Earth, that means Canada, that means Winnipeg,” he said.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca