The mayor of Canada’s largest city and economic capital says she supports removing American flags “wherever possible.”
The office of Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow told Global News in a statement Wednesday that Chow is OK with the measure, which some municipalities in Ontario are starting to adopt.
“We are proudly Canadian and will never be the 51st state,” her office said.
“Mayor Chow supports removing U.S. flags wherever possible during this senseless trade war.”
Chow’s comments come amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s continued threats to annex Canada and make it America’s 51st state. The White House is also in the midst of a bitter trade and tariff dispute with its neighbour.
Those threats have seen the U.S. anthem booed at sporting events across the country, including during the 4 Nations faceoff match between the United States and Canada in Montreal.
It has also led the Ontario government to ban American companies from bidding on public contracts and British Columbia to exclude Tesla — run by Trump’s advisor Elon Musk — from public rebate programs.
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Toronto has followed suit with similar measures, announcing a plan Monday with 10 action items the city will be introducing.
The mayor’s office did not specify further regarding where flags could be removed, but some municipalities that have already done so have focused on city-run properties.
West Lincoln, a township with the Niagara region, was the first municipality to make headlines on the matter when its council voted last month to remove all permanently affixed American flags from its buildings.
Coun. William Reilly first brought up the issue at a committee meeting, questioning why the U.S. flag was up year-round at the West Lincoln community centre, while Ontario’s provincial flag was absent.
“We have an American flag that seems to be fixed in our community centre and we don’t even have an Ontario provincial flag that’s up even one day a year,” Reilly said at that meeting last month.
“I feel disrespected by our American neighbours. It kind of strikes a nerve that here we are in our country, in our facility, proudly displaying their flag.”
West Lincoln’s decision picked up steam, with the City of Barrie following suit. But the measure reached new highs over the weekend when one of Canada’s major cities said it would be following in their footsteps.
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish announced the city would be lowering U.S. flags from city-run lands and facilities. Instead, giant Canadian flags would be raised, and Parrish added the request to do so had come from many people.
The City of Barrie removed American flags from its facilities recently, while West Lincoln Township has done the same.
However, not all cities are on the same page.
Ottawa, the nation’s capital, doesn’t have U.S. flags flying at its facilities, a city spokesperson told Global News.
Sault Ste. Marie, a border city, has no plans to ditch U.S. flags “at this point,” a spokesperson said.
“We are working to support the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario’s response to tariffs. We remain committed to engaging with our American counterparts, encouraging them to advocate against tariffs to the U.S. federal administration, and emphasizing their economic harm to both the American and Canadian economies,” they told Global News in an email.
“We will continue to monitor the ever-evolving situation and reassess as needed.”
— with files from Kevin Nielsen and Isaac Callan
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.