Clearview council decides this flag can fly
Clearview Township will be flying the Rainbow Flag with pride.
Councillors approved raising the flag commonly associated with the LGBTQ community during Simcoe Pride at the end of July.
The flag will be flown on a pole at
The township currently has a policy that prohibits flag raisings for outside organizations, though Ward 6 Coun. Connie Leishman argued that in this case, “we should make an exception for this flag only.”
“Most of the other townships (in Simcoe County) do raise this flag, and we should be more progressive,” she said. “There are a lot of people (in the municipality) who feel disenfranchised.”
“I think we should really support this … one day it will be a moot point.”
The flag was hoisted on a pole outside of the municipal offices in 2014, in spite of the township’s rule. Township officials have since resisted raising a flag outside the municipal office on the basis there are only three poles: One for the Canadian flag, one for the Ontario flag, and one for the municipality’s banner.
Deputy Mayor Barry Burton said allowing one could open the floodgates to having to raise a flag for other causes.
“Once you start down the path, everyone else will want it.”