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Commonwealth Day celebrates partnerships |
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Doug Johnson shows the Chantry Island flag in the Southampton 150th anniversary parade held in the summer of 2009 |
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When someone has a passion, it becomes a lifelong journey and, for Doug Johnson, the passion of flags and their histories has resulted in just that ... a lifelong passion.
Doug Johnson shows the flag of Granada and a Commonwealth cookie tin with a portrait of the Queen "I can't remember when my interest in flags began," says Johnson. "I can sort of remember," says his wife Bea. "In 1990, we got a flagpole on our own property in Southampton and it never stopped from there." Doug Johnson is a monarchist who believes in flying the 'Union Jack' alongside the red 'Maple Leaf' for various functions. "It all began when we wanted a flag pole at our property in Southamtpon," says Johnson. "I saw one in Hamilton and wanted it moved up to our Southampton lot. I had a flat-bed truck bring it up but had no idea how big it was. It was at least 30 feet long. When the truck arrived, my wife Bea, had her bridge club in. They all went outside and directed the truck in." "We had friends help put up the pole," says Johnson. "Master welder Gilles Roy helped put in the foundation for the pole, along with the help of Mike LaBlance and Rob Dougherty." Today, Johnson, is known as the local 'flag expert' and provides flags appropriate for various events in the community. "People don't realize that every flag's symbols have a definite meaning," says Johnson. "Things like the number of points on a star or the outline in white, have a meaning. Flags are important to the countries that they belong to and explain a lot about the history of the world." Now, people send and bring flags from around the world to Johnson. "I have a flag book that illustrates the flags of the world and also the meanings behind the symbols," says Johnson. "I think it's very important that we maintain these meanings of the symbols from our history," adds Johnson. "They are part of who we are and why we are where we are."
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A special certificate was presented to Johnson from the local Propellor Club Every Wednesday, at the local Propellor Club meeting, Johnson brings a new flag to help members develop a global knowledge of the importance of symbolism. Johnson thinks that he has upward of 200 world and religious flags. "One of the few flags I don't have," says Johnson, "is the Commonwealth flag. I do have however, a cookie tin that has all the Commonwealth flags around the outside. People just don't realize the importance of the Commonwealth and the support that, as members, we lend each other." Monday, March 8th [2nd Mon. in March] is not a statutory holiday but is known as 'Commonwealth Day".In 1958, what was known as Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day, in accordance with the new post-colonial relationship between the nations of the former empire. The National Council in Canada of the Royal Commonwealth Society expressed in a 1973 letter to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau that Commonwealth Day should be observed on the same day throughout all countries of the Commonwealth. They asked that this notion be included on the agenda of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Ottawa that year. The item eventually appeared on the agenda of the 1975 meeting, and it was agreed that the Commonwealth Secretariat select a date, preferably one without previous historical connotations. At the meeting of officials in Canberra in 1976, the Canadian proposal of the second Monday in March was adopted.[2] |
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