The Flag Shop Celebrates Pink Shirt Day

February 25th, 2016 Posted in Anti-Bullying, Edmonton, General, Montreal, New Brunswick, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Comments Off on The Flag Shop Celebrates Pink Shirt Day

On February 24th, also known as Pink Shirt Day, everything looked rosy at The Flag Shop. From coast to coast, Flag Shop employees slipped on their pink shirts and lined up for selfies.

Anti-Bullying movements are a big deal to us here so we like to do what we can to support the initiatives that come our way. Most recently we launched a school fundraising program that enables schools to spread the Anti-Bullying message while raising money for school initiatives. In the pink shirt photos below, you may even steal a peek of some of the anti-bullying products we carry.

Now without further ado, the parade of pink shirts!

First up were the early risers at The Flag Shop New Brunswick:

Then Le Flag Shop Montreal got in on the lutte contre l’intimidation:

The Flag Shop Winnipeg made Pink Shirt Day a family affair:

While the The Flag Shop Edmonton location felt some puppy love:

Last but not least, the The Flag Shop Head Office staff posed outside for a photo. There were lots of cars driving buy, so hopefully we served as a human billboard for the message.

 

HAPPY PINK SHIRT DAY EVERYONE!

Pink Shirt Day isn’t the only day that promotes the Anti-Bullying movement; next up is Day of Pink on April 13th and the United Nations Anti-Bulling Day on May 4th. For more information on Anti-Bullying initiatives and to learn more about our school fundraising program, visit www.antibullyingflag.ca.

, , , , , , , , ,
Read More

A Field of Flags at the George Derby Centre

November 6th, 2015 Posted in General, Vancouver
Comments Off on A Field of Flags at the George Derby Centre

George-Derby-(29)

It was an overcast day, but still bright and surprisingly rain-free, when 200 high-school students descended upon the lawn of the George Derby Centre, a veteran care facility in Burnaby, B.C. Within minutes the lawn was filled with thousands of flags, winding down either side of the pathways, dispersed over the grass and a few more adventurously placed in the nooks and crannies of the nearby trees and shrubs. The sight is one to behold, sombre and patriotic, the flags creating a meditative walk of Remembrance for members of the nearby community.

George-Derby-(39)

Meanwhile, sparks of joy emerged from the haphazard way the flags have been arranged. Children of all ages visited the centre, from the high school across the road and the neighbouring elementary school, to assist with the flag planting. This activity gave the children a healthy way to commemorate Remembrance Day by allowing them to participate, rather than only observe. Veterans of many ages were present to greet the children and interact with them as they excitedly determined the most beautiful location for their flag. Their energy brought smiles to fragile heroes and added life to the display that will surely remain long after they’ve returned to their classrooms.

George-Derby-(9)

Left to right: Cpl. Daniela Panesar, Pamela Cole, S.Sgt. Maj. John A. Buis

Finally, the most precious flags were saved for a place of honour. A few flags had been inscribed with messages of remembrance and gratitude for the Centre’s residents. One flag summarized it all. It read, “In very loving memory to all the veterans who called George Derby home.”

We would like to add a “Thank You!”

George-Derby-(53)

The George Derby Centre cares for 300 aging and wounded veterans and could use your support! If you would like to Pledge a Flag yourself, there is still time (and flags) to do so. Be sure to visit www.georgederby.ca to find out more about the Centre and to make a donation today! The flags will remain on the grounds until November 12th, at which point that large group of high-school students will return to undo their handiwork.

The Flag Shop produced all of the flags for this event, they are customized, water resistant paper flags that were specially printed for George Derby. For more information on how you can create your own Remembrance Day flag display, contact The Flag Shop nearest you or visit our Remembrance Day website.

, , , ,
Read More

The Flag Shop Dominates on the Local Bridge Scene

August 25th, 2015 Posted in General
Comments Off on The Flag Shop Dominates on the Local Bridge Scene
From left to right: Whitecaps Banners on the Georgia Viaduct; SFU 50th Anniversary on the Dunsmuir Viaduct; Brand New Whitecaps Banners on the Cambie Street Bridge; PNE Banners on the Granville Street Bridge; More SFU Banners on the Burrard Street Bridge.

From left to right: Whitecaps Banners on the Georgia Viaduct; SFU 50th Anniversary on the Dunsmuir Viaduct; Brand New Whitecaps Banners on the Cambie Street Bridge; PNE Banners on the Granville Street Bridge; More SFU Banners on the Burrard Street Bridge.

Vancouver, we’ve got you surrounded!

Driving in anywhere from the south around to the east, you can’t miss the banners up on the Cambie, Granville, and Burrard bridges, nor can you help notice the vibrant designs lining the Dunsmuir and Georgia Street Viaducts. These banners all have one thing in common (besides great designs) – they were printed here in our Powell Street production facility.* None of this would be possible without our great, long-time customers, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Simon Fraser University and the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). Think you can dodge by going down Quebec? Think again, we’ve got Science World covered, too.

Keep in mind that the larger bridges in Vancouver are not outfitted to carry street banners, so we’ve managed to cover every available bridge in the city. Maybe the next step will be to have them installed on the Lion’s Gate Bridge so we can commemorate the Lion’s Gate Bump?

*You may notice that some of the PNE banners look a little more sun-bleached than others. That is because the PNE, in an effort to reduce waste uses a mix of older banners, that were printed a different facility and new banners that were made here at The Flag Shop.

, , , , ,
Read More

Pride 2015: Vancouver Wrap-Up

August 17th, 2015 Posted in General, London, Pride, Vancouver, Victoria
Comments Off on Pride 2015: Vancouver Wrap-Up

2015 was a big year for The Flag Shop’s involvement in LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations with a lot of firsts. We launched our new Pride mini-site: pride.flagshop.com, joined in partnerships, and made donations to important local charities as well as launching a new contest. Read on to see the specifics of our involvement.

This year The Flag Shop came out in a big way. While our company has a longstanding relationship with members of the LGBTQ+ community this year we really took things to the next level.

Beginning in May, with the launch of our Pride-specific website, pride.flagshop.com, our commitment to the cause has really taken on steam. The website not only features our entire Pride product line but has also expanded to include a comprehensive listing of Pride events across Canada, Pride news coverage, a listing of Pride Societies across Canada and more. We are working on adding new products to our line to better serve the LGBTQ+ community.

Clockwise (from top-right): Our media wall looking great at this info booth (Photo: Vancouver Pride); Two of our Pride booth workers; A custom sewn Transgender flag for PFLAG Vancouver; One of our furry booth volunteers; Some Flag Shop paper flags adorning some fabulous shopping carts in the parade. (Photos: Rebecca Love)

Clockwise (from top-right): Our media wall looking great at this info booth (Photo: Vancouver Pride); Two of our Pride booth workers; A custom sewn Transgender flag for PFLAG Vancouver; One of our furry booth volunteers; Some Flag Shop paper flags adorning some fabulous shopping carts in the parade. (Photos: Rebecca Love)

We also deepened our involvement with local charitable organizations. We recently worked with the Vancouver Pride Society to produce a media wall for them as well as running a Pride flag booth at the Vancouver Pride Festival with proceeds being donated. We also donated a hand-sewn transgender flag for PFLAG Vancouver, an organization that speaks for a more accepting Canadian society in regards to sexual orientation and gender identity issues.

From left to right: A standing banner outside of the Out on Screen Gala Opening; Two retractable banners fresh off the press in our production warehouse.

From left to right: A gamma banner outside of the Out on Screen Gala Opening; Two retractable banners fresh off the press in our production warehouse.

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival has some great new banners at a discount as a result of another print partnership, this time with their organizer, Out on Screen.

From left to right: Early Bird Winner, Tyler; 2nd Place winner, Kylee; Grand Prize Winner, Zoltan

From left to right: Early Bird Winner, Tyler; 2nd Place winner, Kylee; Grand Prize Winner, Zoltan

This was also the year of our first ever #PrideFlag social media contest! In an effort to encourage people to proudly show their Pride Flags all around Vancouver, we launched a photography contest that yielded some great shots and a few excellent winners that helped raise the profile of the Pride flag even further.

From left to right: The Flag Shop Victoria takes part in the local Pride Parade; The Flag Shop London set up a booth at Niagara Pride.

From left to right: The Flag Shop Victoria takes part in the local Pride Parade; The Flag Shop London set up a booth at Niagara Pride.

Better still, it’s not just here in Vancouver that The Flag Shop is involved in Pride activities. Our store in London, Ontario had a great booth set up at Niagara Pride while The Flag Shop Victoria made a giant Pride flag and used a pick-up truck to drive it in the local Pride Parade!

All in all we made some great memories through this year’s Vancouver Pride season. Of course Pride issues aren’t just important at one time of year, so we’ll continue to grow and strengthen our participation in supporting LGBTQ+ people as an ally. What is coming next? I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.

, , , , , , , , , ,
Read More

5th Annual Mike Gibson Memorial Golf Tournament

June 12th, 2015 Posted in Vancouver
Comments Off on 5th Annual Mike Gibson Memorial Golf Tournament

On June 13th, 2015 family, friends, and fellow golfers will gather for the 5th Annual Mike Gibson Memorial Golf (MGMG) Tournament to raise funds for the Canucks Place Children’s Hospice. The Tournament was started in June 2011 following the death of Vera Gibson’s son Mike who, alongside his high school sweetheart Kelly Pockett, were involved in an accident that took both of their lives while driving back from the family cabin near Penticton.

Each year about 65 participants ranging in age from teens to late sixties enter the Texas Scramble format tournament, which allows players of all skill sets to participate in a fun filled round of 18 holes. Following the tournament portion with prizes up for grabs, there’s a family style BBQ and silent auction / raffle hosted at the Gibson’s cabin. To date, $15,529 has been raised with no plans to end the tournament anytime soon. Vera says that the Canucks Place Children’s Hospice was specifically chosen because “helping other families who are dealing with challenging circumstances feels like a good fit.”

Mike-Gibson-Golf-Tournament-Group-Shot

This year, after realizing that a windsurfing board and laminated photo of Mike used to promote the tournament was on its last leg, Vera visited The Flag Shop Vancouver to inquire about pricing for a custom flag that would be able to replace the damaged board. After coming across Vera during her in store visit (unaware that she was there to explore signage options), President Susan Braverman, touched by the story behind the tournament and Vera’s ability to turn her loss into something positive was happy to donate a flag of Vera’s choice. The final product – a feather flag specially designed for the tournament – speaks for itself!

Feather-Banner

With no official sponsors or staff, the tournament is truly a labor of love. As not only the main organizer but also an accomplished writer and certified life coach, Vera sees her involvement as an investment of time that would have been spent in other ways if Mike were still here. Instead of celebrating future birthdays and holidays together scattered over the years, Vera’s planning and hard work is a condensed ball of energy that gets poured into the weeks leading up to the event and on the tournament day every year. Although the pain that comes from losing a loved one never disappears, we couldn’t image a better way to celebrate Mike’s precious memory. Thank you for letting us be a part of your wonderful event!

If you know of a special event or charity that needs banners or signage, contact us to discuss how we can help your organization shine.

, , , , , , , ,
Read More

Working together to end bullying

February 19th, 2015 Posted in General
Comments Off on Working together to end bullying

Susan Braverman, President of The Flag Shop, was bullied in grade 8 and will never forget the trauma of having to change schools to escape the torment. She was one of the lucky ones who had the support of her family to help her through a devastating period, but not everyone does. Ever since then, Susan has been conscious of what bullying can do to people.

In early 2014, The Flag Shop was asked to produce a flag based on the winning design for a Pink Shirt Day competition submitted by Grace Fenton, a Grade 7 student from New Brunswick. Susan immediately knew that she had found the perfect design to represent The Flag Shop’s Anti-Bullying Campaign, an initiative that all 13 shops across Canada were strongly committed to championing.

img-antibullying-susanBy the end of 2014, The Flag Shop was granted exclusive rights to use Grace Fenton’s design for any campaigns that would help communicate the important message that “Bullying is not acceptable and needs to be stopped.”

The Flag Shop team was ecstatic because Grace’s design offers a positive message representing helping those who need our help. It is easily understood by everyone.

Bullying is a serious problem, whether it’s happening at school, at work, on the internet or for racial, sexual or other predatory reasons. This problem is much bigger than people may be aware of or willing to admit, and The Flag Shop is committed to spreading the message that EVERY DAY IS ANTI-BULLYING DAY!

At The Flag Shop, we believe that business is about more than just the bottom line. With the launch of our Anti-Bullying Initiative, we are doing what we can to raise awareness across Canada that bullying behaviour is unacceptable.

The Flag Shop Anti-Bullying products price points have been established to enable fundraising initiatives across Canada, whether it be for your school, workplace, or social group. In addition, partial proceeds from every Anti-Bullying product sold will go into a fund to support product donations for Anti-Bullying awareness efforts.

The entire Flag Shop team is committed to spreading this Anti-Bullying message! We will continue to add new products based on Grace’s design and over time, as our fund grows, our capability to accept donation requests for products to support Anti-Bullying campaigns will increase. Donation requests can be submitted at any of our Flag Shop locations, from coast to coast.

The Flag Shop is committed to raising awareness that bullying behaviour inflicts tremendous damage, and while we cannot change the past, we can do our part to influence the future. With the support of our fellow Canadians, we will strive for to make our already amazing country BECOME BULLY FREE – a country where EVERY DAY IS ANTI-BULLYING DAY!

All of The Flag Shop’s Anti-Bullying products are available online and at each of the 13 Flag Shop locations across Canada.

See www.antibullyingflag.ca for more information.

We are PROUDLY CANADIAN!

Press Release: THE FLAG SHOP JUMPS ON BOARD TO SUPPORT ANTI-BULLYING INITIATIVES ACROSS CANADA (PDF)

, , , ,
Read More

Susan’s interview in the Vancouver Courier

September 12th, 2014 Posted in Support BC Teachers, Vancouver
Comments Off on Susan’s interview in the Vancouver Courier

Photo by Dan Toulgoet

Read Susan’s interview with Cheryl Rossi about The Flag Shop’s involvement in supporting the BC teachers on strike.

 

, , , , ,
Read More

An anti-bullying flag from New Brunswick

February 25th, 2014 Posted in General, New Brunswick
Comments Off on An anti-bullying flag from New Brunswick

Anti-bullying flag

Just in time for Pink Shirt Day on February 26th, Caledonia Regional student Grace Fenton designed the world’s first Pink Flag for Community Anti-bullying Awareness and Support. It was raised in both Hillsborough and Riverview, New Brunswick by the respective mayors.

The Flag Shop New Brunswick printed the 33″x72″ flag on 200d nylon and finished with grommets. Twelve flags were printed and are being handed to key people for photo ops with the hopes that the anti-bullying message will gain more traction across the country.

, , ,
Read More

Victoria’s last minute Pride Flag for the legislature

February 14th, 2014 Posted in General, Victoria
Comments Off on Victoria’s last minute Pride Flag for the legislature

All across Canada, pride flags have been flying in support of LGBT rights as Canada participates in the Sochi Winter Olympics. The cities of Vancouver and Victoria raised their flags on the opening day of the Olympics. The BC Legislature took a little extra time to get theirs up, and The Flag Shop Victoria was integral to that process.

NDP MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert wrote to Speaker Linda Reid requesting that the flag be flown at the legislature, and the approval came through on Wednesday. Paul Servos, the owner of The Flag Shop Victoria, got a rush order for a 45″ x 90″ pride flag at 9 a.m. on Thursday. He managed to sew it all together from 200D nylon in the shop in time to deliver it by noon to the Office of Protocol, and the flag was raised around 1 pm. That’s quick service!

“In Victoria we enjoy these challenging projects as our smaller sewing room allows us to do customization creatively with excellent value for the customer” – Paul.

Here’s a video of the flag raising (bonus: you can also see how to rig a halyard with a flag that has a rope and toggle):

In addition, tomorrow is The Flag Shop Victoria’s 1 year anniversary of rejoining us! They have done some great projects over the past year.

, , , , , , , , ,
Read More

World Diabetes Day flag flies in New Brunswick

November 14th, 2013 Posted in New Brunswick
Comments Off on World Diabetes Day flag flies in New Brunswick

World Diabetes Day on November 14th raises awareness about diabetes and encourages advocacy and education about the disease. Its main theme for 2009 through 2013 has been education and prevention. The slogan for this year is “Diabetes: protect our future”.

In 2010, The Flag Shop New Brunswick made a flag for World Diabetes Day that is flown during the month of November in the communities of Dieppe, Moncton, and Riverview in New Brunswick. The 36″ x 72″ flag is printed on 200D nylon.

World Diabetes Day Flag - New Brunswick

, ,
Read More
Older Entries