The Kitimat Chamber of Commerce is asking for the public’s help in choosing five new flags to be flown at Heritage Park.
The addition will bring the total number of international flags to 31, and mark the first known instance when new flags were added to the display.
The flags under consideration are those of Columbia, Ethiopia, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Nigeria, Somalia and Ukraine.
The flag display pays homage to the diversity of Kitimat’s original residents, and those who continue to move their lives here from all parts of the world.
“Back in the day when Rio Tinto was first established and this community was built, (Kitimat)was based on people coming from different communities and countries to work at the smelter,” Laurel D’Andrea, executive director of the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce.
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“Rio Tinto, and now LNG Canada, are still attracting people from all over the world to come work here.”
The expansion is the result of residents enquiring about the inclusion of their home-country’s flag, and the chamber’s own efforts to keep track of Kitimat’s ever-changing makeup.
The project was made possible largely with a $20,000 LNG Canada contribution.
The new flags will be raised alongside the others at the annual flag raising ceremony April 27.
Residents can cast their votes at the chamber’s website. Each person is entitled to choose five flags. Voting closes April 9.
The flag raising ceremony, marked by a day of activities, cookouts and speeches, is intended to celebrate and acknowledge the diverse origins of Kitimat’s residents.
D’Andrea said there are still a few remaining spots at the flag site, and that future additions are a possibility.
It was originally managed by the Kitimat Multicultural Association but was later entrusted to the chamber of commerce due to the logistical challenges faced by the club’s aging membership.
By engaging the public in the selection of new flags, the chamber of commerce aims to ensure the event continues to be a meaningful and inclusive celebration.