Calgarian told to remove Canadian flags by condo board
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A senior in Calgary's southeast is left wondering why his condo board is no longer allowing him to display Canadian flags on his property.
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Jim McLeman, 78, is the retired owner of a 14th floor suite in The Lookout, located at 801 Second Ave. S.W.
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Despite displaying Canadian flags outside of his property for around two decades, he was surprised to hear that his condo board had a bylaw that outlined a zero-tolerance policy for flags.
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The flag flap comes as Canada Day, the celebration embracing the country's colours and flag, approaches.
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McLeman originally bought the property back in 1998 and moved in after the building was constructed in 2000. Every summer, he would proudly display a few of his Canadian flags.
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Originally, he had three flags on display. Now, he only has a single flag situated on the corner of his patio.
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The three-by-five-foot Canadian flag is attached to a broom handle, which is secured to a post.
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After receiving an email notifying him of the violation, he searched for answers as to why this was suddenly an issue.
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'They haven't said what the penalty would be,' he said. 'They just said I was violating the Board of Condos' bylaws.'
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It outlined that an anonymous individual brought this to the board's attention, and that their bylaws prohibit the display of flags since it can face challenges if it allows one but not another.
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An annual general meeting for condo owners and tenants took place on June 19, but McLeman was unable to attend due to his wife suffering from end-stage Parkinson's.
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Additionally, he would have been unable to address it at the meeting, since any unit-specific issues or disputes are addressed outside of the meeting.
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'I thought that this could've been brought up with owners at the meeting, but I guess they feel it's not the time or place,' he said.
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As an immigrant from the extreme northern end of Scotland, McLeman said he's proud to display the Canadian flag outside of his property.
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'I came here back in '67, I was just a 20-year-old kid,' he said. 'I'm proud to be a Canadian. I'm told I cannot fly my country's flag, and I cannot believe it.'
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'I'm not a troublemaker, nobody's said anything about it or told me I can't do that,' he said. 'But if there was a good reason, nobody has given me anything.'
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