A London man who’s painting his street patriotic is dealing with pushback from the city, thanks to a single complaint.
Ted Skinner who lives on Thornton Avenue in Old North, began putting up Canadian flags to celebrate the country’s 150th.
After the first six went up, he got a card from the city asking him to speak with a bylaw officer.
“I said I felt like I’d been called to the principal’s office — she thought that was quite cute,” he explained.
Skinner told AM980 that the only thing he was told was that the city received a complaint and had to follow it up. There was nothing to indicate he was breaking any bylaws. He added that when he put the first flag on a utility pole, he contacted London Hydro beforehand.
The future of the flags remains uncertain, however, as Skinner says he hasn’t heard anything back from the city in a week.
“If they have to come down, I’ll make up some excuse. I’ll take them down, but I’m going to be sick for a couple of months and see what happens,” Skinner laughed.
In the meantime, other blocks on Thornton have organized collections to pay for more flags with a total of 15 in place as of Monday, and 30 expected to be erected by Tuesday.
“A quiet little street such as Thornton Avenue — it is four blocks long. That’s why I didn’t think it would be a big deal to do it on that street.”
AM980 reached out to the city’s bylaw office for comment but had yet to hear back as of 2:30 Monday afternoon.
Skinner’s full interview can be heard below.
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