Ottawa mayor calls out protesters who placed upside-down Canadian flag on Terry Fox statue
As a large crowd of demonstrators mingled on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for the "Freedom Convoy" protest against COVID-19 public health mandates, images of a statue of Terry Fox holding a protest sign sparked outrage among social media users, including the mayor of Ottawa.
Someone had placed an upside-down Canadian flag onto the statue of Terry Fox at the corner of Wellington and Metcalfe and draped another flag around the statue's back and shoulders. A protest sign was also placed in the statue's hands.
The signs and a baseball cap were later removed, but the upside-down flag remained.
In a tweet, Ottawa mayor Jim Watson called the move "completely unacceptable" and said he ordered staff to remove the items placed on the statue.
"This kind of stunt by protesters does not help their cause," Watson tweeted.
Brad West, the mayor of Fox's hometown of Port Coquitlam, B.C., accused whoever placed the items on the statue of appropriating Fox's legacy.
"He’s our city’s hero, national inspiration and a unifier. Whatever your cause, you don’t get to appropriate his legacy and you don’t touch his statue. Ever."
An upside-down flag is generally meant to symbolize distress or danger, but has been used by protesters at different times as a political statement.
The government of Canada's rules for flying the national flag say the flag should never be flown upside down except as a signal of distress in instances of extreme danger to life, and should also never be used to cover a statue.
While it didn't directly comment on the images of the statue in Ottawa, the Terry Fox Foundation tweeted an image of a statue of the Canadian icon, with the message that he believed in science.
"Terry believed in science and gave his life to help others. Thank you to all of our supporters who help us work toward realizing Terry’s dream of a world without cancer," the tweet said.
Many social media users said they made a donation to the Terry Fox Foundation after seeing the picture.
"In response to the defiling of the Terry Fox statue in Ottawa, I've made a donation to @TerryFoxCanada," wrote CHEO president and CEO Alex Munter. "Let's turn today's negative energy and hostility into positive results for cancer care and research in Canada!"
The protest in Ottawa drew a massive crowd to Parliament Hill to protest COVID-19 health mandates imposed by all levels of government. Many were also protesting the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The protest created gridlock in Ottawa's downtown core, with the city of Ottawa warning at one point that there was "no more room for vehicles" other than emergency responders.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.