The Russian flag should continue to fly at the Bridge of Nations on Paris Street, Mayor Brian Bigger said in response to an ongoing push by some people for it to be removed.
“There are many who don’t agree with what their government is doing right now,” he said, adding that residents whose birth origin is Russia or are of Russian descent have chosen Greater Sudbury as their home and should feel welcome.
“It’s a reflection of the belief that we’re better than what individual governments do from time to time.”
The message behind the grassroots-based Bridge of Nations effort has been that Greater Sudbury is an inclusive and diverse city, Bigger said, which he wants to see maintained.
“A message of removing the Russian flag is a political statement that is actually a horrible message for Greater Sudbury,” he said. “We’re a welcoming, inclusive community that appreciates people internationally from all over the world.”
The flags that fly outside of Tom Davies Square, meanwhile, can be a political statement. Last week, the city erected a Ukrainian flag at this location, at which time Bigger said it was a symbol of how deeply woven the identity of Ukrainian-Canadians has been in the community.
“Together, we must continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” he said.
There are 89 flags on the Bridge of Nations, and Bigger said that to remove the Russian flag would not only send the wrong message, but also establish the bridge as a political symbol. If that were to become the case, he said the logistics of determining when and why to raise and lower flags would be prohibitively daunting and complex.
The raising of new flags at the Bridge of Nations is always cause for celebration, he said, such as what took place when seven more flags were raised in 2016.
Politicizing the city’s most visible symbol of inclusivity would only serve to damper such enthusiasm, and Bigger said that when the city consulted with the Ukrainian community regarding the raising of a Ukrainian flag at Tom Davies Square last month there was no request made to remove the Russian flag at the Bridge of Nations.
“It’s like a beacon of hope for the future,” he said of the Bridge of Nations. “Is it possible that people of different backgrounds, birth origins, religions, can live peacefully together.”
The Town of Huntsville recently voted to remove the Russian flag from their G8 Flag Park, and the Russian Flag has been removed from the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
