VANCOUVER — A long-time Sunshine Coast couple is refusing to remove a Canadian flag from their condominium balcony despite a request from their strata property manager, citing the importance of national pride amid ongoing sovereignty concerns.Jack and Patricia (Pat) Matthews have displayed the flag for more than a year outside their third-floor unit. The couple, originally from England and Canadian citizens for decades, say they put it up in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and rhetoric about Canada becoming the "51st state."This week, they received an email from Adam Major, managing broker with Holywell Properties, informing them of a resident complaint and asking them to take down the approximately 1.2-metre by 0.9-metre flag. The notice referenced strata bylaws prohibiting items hung from balconies or other visible areas — including laundry, clothing, bedding, or “other articles” — as well as rules limiting seasonal and festive decorations to specific time periods..“Jack and I refused to take it down,” Pat Matthews said in comments shared with Postmedia. “Our argument is, ‘Why can’t we display the Canadian flag?’ with all the rhetoric with Donald Trump and the 51st state and all that garbage.”Jack Matthews, who has lived on the Sunshine Coast for over 50 years and in the building for more than a decade, said he has even helped draft some of the strata’s bylaws in the past and generally supports strict enforcement. However, he called this particular request “a bit unpatriotic.”“If you have any patriotism, this is a sensitive issue,” he added. He said he could understand concerns about more overtly political symbols, such as flags of Israel or Ukraine, but not the Canadian flag itself. “But it’s the Canadian flag!”The couple reported receiving supportive messages from other residents after posting the email on a hallway corkboard. One neighbour who received a similar notice reportedly removed their flag, but the Matthews have no intention of complying. Jack Matthews said he contacted Major directly to express disappointment, noting there are far more pressing matters than policing displays of the national flag..The National Flag of Canada Act encourages Canadians to proudly display the Maple Leaf and urges those managing apartment and condominium buildings to permit such displays.However, strata councils generally retain authority to regulate the appearance of limited common property, such as balconies, through bylaws aimed at uniformity.The Western Standard reached out to the property manager named in the article, Adam Major of Holywell Properties, who said he had “no comment” on the matter.
