With glowing hearts, B.C. flag maker sees sales rise amid U.S. tariff threats

A flag manufacturer in British Columbia says it is seeing a spike in sales of Canadian flags amid threats of U.S. tariffs, including a rise in orders from south of the border. 

Julia Izadi of Flying Colours International said February is often a time when the company restocks flags and plans ahead for Canada Day on July 1. This year has been different as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose widespread tariffs on Canadian products. 

Izadi told CBC's On the Coast that phones at their Port Coquitlam location have been "ringing off the hook" amid growing demand for Canadian flags. 

"Our Canada flag sales have quadrupled here in the last 11 days," she said Tuesday. 

WATCH | B.C. flag maker seeing rise in sales amid U.S. tariff threats

The company is even seeing a rise in orders south of the border, she said, with orders coming from Canadian expats and U.S. citizens showing support for their northern neighbours. 

Izadi said a call from five former prime ministers to fly the red maple leaf this weekend in a huge display of national pride has "upped the ante" as the company deals with demand. 

Saturday is Flag Day, which is held annually to mark the first time the red-and-white maple leaf flag was raised on Parliament Hill on Feb. 15, 1965, replacing the Canadian Red Ensign.

The former prime ministers – Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper – jointly wrote an open letter, telling Canadians to "show the flag as never before" as the country contends with "threats and insults from Donald Trump."

The former politicians added that they have "witnessed a surge of Canadian pride and patriotism" in the wake of Trump's threats and they are heartened to see so many people "come together to express their love for our country and their determination to defend Canada's values and our independence."

A recent Angus Reid poll recorded an average increase in national pride across Canada of nine points, from 58 per cent in December to 67 per cent in February. A recent survey from Leger also found an uptick in respondents saying they were proud to be Canadian.

Izadi said Flying Colours International makes about 50,000 Canadian flags per year at its Port Coquitlam facility as well as its head office in Toronto. 

She said the company is taking an "all hands on deck" approach amid the surge in business, and she feels its work is serving a higher purpose.

"it's just really fulfilling to see Canadians want to fly that flag," she said.