Patriotic resident to plant 500 flags

If you wake up on Canada Day to find a Canadian flag on your lawn, it’s entirely possible that Laurie Bambridge put it there.

The St. Catharines realtor will take to the streets of Port Dalhousie on the evening of June 30 to spread a little bit of colour and patriotism to the neighbourhood. Well — maybe not so little. Bambridge plans on planting 500 flags, up from 150 last year, which was the first year of her flag planting endeavours.

She says she does it for a number of reasons, number one being inclusivity.

“It’s so everyone can participate. Even if somebody didn’t go out and buy a flag, they can feel like a part of this big day,” says Bambridge.

She says the idea came from one of her colleagues who has been doing it for a few years.

Bambridge also takes advantage of the opportunity, attaching her business cards to the flagpoles.

“It’s a great way to make yourself known to the community,” says Bambridge, who only recently moved into her Port Dalhousie address, though she grew up in Port and is no stranger to the area.

She says she will be putting the flags out mostly around Main Street.

Another part of the reason she’s doing this in Port Dalhousie is because of the “doom and gloom” of the water levels this year. She says she wanted to bring a little bit of extra cheer to the area.

Helping her will be six neighbourhood kids who are feeling the patriotic spirit.

Bambridge says the best part is seeing people react to the flags. She says most people tend to be pretty excited when they see them.

All in all, the project costs her around $700, but she says it’s worth it to see people’s reactions.

“I want to have a positive effect on people when they come to Port Dalhousie, or wake up and go for their morning walk,” says Bambridge.