“At the entrance to the town of Granby […] the Canadian maple leaf, the Quebec fleurdelisé and the Granby flag fly. A fourth flagpole carries the American flag. Given the current situation, I wonder about the usefulness of seeing it floating in my municipality. […]», writes citizen Pascale Déragon, whose email was read Monday evening by the deputy city clerk, Me Joannie Meunier.
Then, Ms. Déragon asks the question in her email:
“Is it possible to remove the United States flag?”
— Pascale Déragon, citizen of Granby
The mayor of Granby Julie Bourdon recalled, in response, that to her knowledge the flag of the United States had been present for more than ten years at the Granby tourist information office, rue Denison Est.
“It’s really with the aim of welcoming American citizens [que ce drapeau est là]so it is not any political action, but we can question ourselves to see if it is necessary or relevant to keep it there,” she told the media present on site.
“It’s true that in the current context, it makes you think. We will be able to have a reflection […]», added Félix Dionne, municipal councilor responsible for commercial and tourist development.
Félix Dionne is a municipal councilor in Granby. (Stéphane Champagne/Archives La Voix de l’Est)
He confirmed that no ministerial directive or protocol agreement required the City to hoist the United States flag.
“It’s really a tradition that we have in Granby to leave the flag [des États-Unis]. This is not a political gesture, it is really a sign of welcome to our visitors who come from the United States […]“, he added.
Americans are in third place among visitors welcomed at the tourist information office, after the province of Quebec and Ontario, Commerce Tourisme Granby region (CTGR) told us.
“We can estimate that more than ten thousand American visitors came to the Granby area,” indicates Hélène Plante, co-director general of CTGR.
In Estrie, more broadly, 6% of tourists are Americans, according to Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est.
Removing it would be “more politically charged”
Removing this United States flag, on the other hand, would represent a “much more politically charged” decision than leaving it in place, specifies Mr. Dionne in an interview with The Voice of the EastWednesday afternoon.
“If we decided to remove it, we would be making a political decision in reaction to what is currently happening, while our goal is to reaffirm that American visitors are welcome.”
-— Félix Dionne, municipal councilor
According to the municipal councilor, it is the population who will ultimately decide the fate of the flag.
“If it’s clear that it’s understood as a gesture of welcome, we shouldn’t remove it,” he said. But if the population perceives it in connection with American policies, if they give it an importance that was not what was expected, that forces the discussion.
For the moment, there is “no reason to withdraw it,” according to Mr. Dionne.
“No one else told me about it. If the consensus evolves [autrement]we will listen,” specifies the one who chairs the board of directors of Commerce tourisme Granby region (CTGR).
“Show that we are strong”
“For me, it’s the Quebec flag that I’m proud to see, not the American flag, while President Donald Trump is talking about annexing Canada [et d’en faire le 51e État des États-Unis]», insists Ms. Déragon.
Donald Trump repeated, on Tuesday January 7, his ambitions to annex several territories, mentioning Canada. (France24)
“I think it is not justifiable, at this moment, to support the Americans [en hissant leur] flag,” confirms Pascale Déragon, in an interview with The Voice of the EastTuesday evening.
The CEGEP student in human sciences says she has “very independence values,” but believes that “no matter our political affiliations, we must come together to create a strong Quebec and defend our interests.”
“More than ever, we must get rid of American imperialism, and show that in Quebec we are strong, united,” she says.
The 20-year-old woman admits to having “always wondered about the relevance of having this flag”.
Ms. Déragon says she is “happy” to see a certain openness on the part of the municipal council.
Furthermore, the mayor of Granby informed us that she will participate on Friday in training organized by the Union of Municipalities of Quebec, the aim of which is to identify the impacts of future customs tariffs on the Quebec economy.
“It’s certain that we ensure vigilance in the face of that,” says Julie Bourdon. We know that this can have an impact on our economic and industrial environment. […] If there are things we can put in place, we will look at what we can do.”
Related News :