Mayor Matt Brown: the flags will fly on Thornton Avenue

Londoners in Old North no longer have to worry about the fate of their flags.

Following public outcry over the possibility that Canadian flags on Thornton Avenue would be taken down due to a complaint, Mayor Matt Brown has stepped in to support the flag-flying.

Ted Skinner started with one flag, then six, and then 15 along Thornton Avenue as neighbours began pooling money to pay for more flags to dress up the street ahead of Canada 150 celebrations.

After the first six went up, he got a card from the city asking him to speak with a bylaw officer.

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Skinner told AM980 on Monday that the only thing he was told was that the city “received a complaint and had to follow it up.”

The future of the flags appeared uncertain until Skinner received two calls from Brown on Tuesday morning.

“He thanked me for my city civic pride,” Skinner told AM980.

“He said he was going to make some noise about it. Later on he called and he said he talked to the CEO of London Hydro and that gentleman has given me 100 per cent approval to continue installing the flags on their hydro poles.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "He thanked me for my city civic pride," Skinner told AM980.</p><p>"He said he was going to make some noise about it. Later on he called and he said he talked to the CEO of London Hydro and that gentleman has given me 100 per cent approval to continue installing the flags on their hydro poles."

Now Skinner plans to rent a scissor-lift to finish the job which should see roughly 30 flags flying along Thornton Avenue.

The flags will be allowed to stay put up to and including the Canada 150 celebrations but will be removed after Canada Day.

“I just hope I’ve raised some civic pride, especially this year. I just wanted to show my pride and it ballooned from there.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "I just hope I've raised some civic pride, especially this year. I just wanted to show my pride and it ballooned from there."