Fort Erie removes Ukraine flags from town hall after four years
May 13, 2026 at 11:08 AM
The visual show of support for the people of Ukraine at town hall has come to an end, though Fort Erie’s mayor says the town can continue supporting victims of military aggression in the eastern European country and elsewhere in other ways.
More than four years after Ukrainian flags were displayed at town hall, the municipality has made the decision to take the blue and yellow flags down. Mayor Wayne Redekop said the decision wasn’t an easy one, but that it felt appropriate to do so now.
“We can still support Ukraine, we can still support international law and a rules-ordered world,” he said on Monday night. “We can still oppose the aggression of Russia or any other nation that attempts to alter international boundaries.”
Redekop said few, if any, would have imagined the war continuing more than four years after the Russian invasion. With a strong Canadian population who claim Ukrainian descent, along with Canadian support for an international rules-based system, the mayor said it made sense to show their solidarity with Ukraine.
However, in the ensuing years conflicts elsewhere have sprung up. That, combined with a belief among some in town that municipal government should focus solely on municipal issues, convinced officials to make the change, Redekop said.
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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