Canadian flags are flying proudly in Nanaimo's Maffeo Sutton Park as threats to annex Canada by United States leadership are met with defiance across the country. 

The flagpoles at the park usually remain empty in the winter, with the Nanaimo International Folk Festival Society utilizing the poles during the summer months to fly flags from society members' countries. As of this week, all the flagpoles are flying the maple leaf.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to display our patriotism and display the symbol of our country at a time when we are facing an unprecedented assault on our sovereignty and our economy," said Mayor Leonard Krog.

Filling the seasonally empty poles with Canadian flags was suggested by Nanaimo city staff, the mayor said, and the idea quickly gained his personal support, leading to the city's parks, recreation and culture department installing them.

"We've had several e-mails already [in support] and a got at least one e-mail asking why aren't we flying Canadian flags at Maffeo Sutton, but that was after the suggestion had already been made to do this when the poles were, in fact, empty."

Krog said that as people pass by the flags, he would like them to be reminded how lucky they are to live in this country "and how important it is to defend it against whatever challenges we face as a people." 

"I do suspect Canada Day this year, which is always a spectacular event, will be a much larger and even more enthusiastic event than usual."

At Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron's Nanaimo office, requests for flags and flag lapel pins have "flooded" staff, as constituents are eager to display their national solidarity. 

"There has been a clear uptick in patriotism," Barron said. "We are seeing it first-hand in our office, I'm hearing it first-hand when I'm knocking on doors talking to people in the community. People are feeling a sense of pride, particularly as a result of the threats coming from convicted felon and president Donald Trump, who has been threatening tariffs and threats to our very sovereignty as Canadians, and Canadians are responding as we do, by unifying together and making clear we are proud Canadians."

Trump has recently been suggesting the notion of Canada becoming a "51st state." This month, the U.S. brought in new tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and Canada retaliated with tariffs on American goods. Many Canadians have started forgoing the purchase of American products as part of a