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The Greenstone municipal council has reaffirmed its controversial decision to restrict the Franco-Ontarian flag from flying permanently in the northern Ontario municipality. The decision comes after months of dispute between the Council and the local Franco-Ontarian community. The Council claims that its new policy aims to foster equality and reconciliation with local First Nations communities.
In an interview with The North Star, Claudette Gleeson, president of the Association des Francophones du Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario (AFNOO) shared that the council failed to consult with the local Franco-Ontarian or Indigenous communities before deciding that the permanent flying of the flag does not keep with the goals of reconciliation.
Gleeson expressed that the council's decision is "disappointing" and "embarrassing." "There are absolutely no issues between our populations [Franco-Ontarians and local Indigenous communities]. Taking away the Franco-Ontarian symbol down not 'advance reconciliation'."
The Council's unilateral decision has led to an outcry from the local Franco-Ontarian community who denounce the new policy, arguing it erases their presence and contributions to the Greenstone community and the wider province. They also argue that the policy causes baseless divisions between them and the local Indigenous communities.
With support from AFNOO, the local Franco-Ontarian community pushed back for months to have the decision reversed. In a deputation delivered in March by AFNOO and members of the local Franco-Ontarian community, local resident Sylvie Payeur stated that “removing a flag from one community is not equal to representing another community."
The intent of the 2015 was to represent Greenstone's sizable Francophone community and culture in the bilingual municipality. In its reversal, Greenstone’s municipal council has decided to fly the Franco-Ontarian, Every Child Matters, and Métis Nation of Ontario flags at designated times throughout the year.
"By flying the Franco-Ontarian flag throughout the year, we are recognizing one demographic on a year-round basis which may be considered as not acknowledging other demographics, including Indigenous peoples," the Council wrote in its report.