Brock professor says Canadians have stepped back from the flag due to its affiliation with the freedom movement.
A Brock University professor says Canadians are feeling conflicted about the flag.
Derek Foster says due to the affiliation with the ongoing freedom movement, Canadians have stepped back from the national symbol.
The pop culture professor also notes Canadians have traditionally been seen as more reserved than Americans, and are more comfortable with other forms of nationalism such as advertising from Canadian businesses.
"What we’ve seen is a collapse of the flag as a symbol of national pride and national identity into a nationalistic symbol, and this is a relatively unfamiliar tradition in Canada," Foster says. "We’re far more used to asking what makes Canada great or proud, or even asking what defines us as a country, rather than assuming or boldly announcing such things."
Foster adds it's important to note that the country existed for nearly a century without a flag, and the current design was adopted in 1965 after significant debate.
"It makes sense that it’s still open for interpretation," Foster says. "And, given its strong graphical design, that it is often appropriated for different causes."
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