Banner day Flag Shop celebrates relocation to Osborne Street after two-plus decades on Pembina By: David Sanderson Posted: 3:00 AM CDT Saturday, May. 11, 2024

It’s shaping up to be a banner weekend for vexillophiles, those who have a keen interest in flags.

Following a 28-year run on Pembina Highway, the Flag Shop is hosting a grand-opening event Saturday at its new location at 734 Osborne St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Samantha Hobson, daughter of owners Guy and Magda Gauthier, describes the 3,400-square-foot site as being more than double the size of the previous digs — a major selling point, apparently, if you’re in the flag game.

Besides sales, it also rents out flags for international conferences and movie shoots, and obviously want those to look their best before leaving the premises, Hobson says, adding they’ll be offering treats and refreshments, as well as giving away souvenir Manitoba flags to coincide with Manitoba Day (May 12), which falls this year on Sunday.

“My mom does the ironing and let me tell you, when you’re pressing a flag measuring 30 (feet) by 15 (feet), you need all the room you can get.”

Gauthier was employed in the service department of a local automobile dealership in 1995, when he learned the Flag Shop, which was founded in Vancouver in 1975, was seeking franchisees.

Although he could only correctly identify a dozen nation flags — “tops” — at the time, Gauthier had always wanted to be his own boss. He and Magda travelled to B.C. to meet with Flag Shop staff.

Admittedly, Gauthier says he wasn’t sure whether a store devoted entirely to flags would fly in Winnipeg. But because Magda was an accomplished seamstress, and because they came to understand the majority of flags sold 30 years ago were hand-sewn versus digitally reproduced, as is largely the case now, they decided to give it a go.

Sales were slow but steady the first couple of years, he recalls. Over time, largely with the assistance of newspaper ads and the once-dominant directory Yellow Pages, they built up a steady clientele.

Not just people shopping for a Maple Leaf ahead of July 1 or new Canadians looking for a reminder of home, but also private businesses in the market for a custom-made flag bearing a company logo.

“One thing kind of led to another and pretty soon, we weren’t only selling flags but poles as well,” Hobson interjects, proudly mentioning her first sale of a flagpole was to an ex-Winnipegger living in New York City, who had it erected outside his office near Times Square.

Just as it did on Pembina, the Flag Shop stocks multiple sizes of flags from every country in the world (195 at last count). Sure, there isn’t much call for, say, Lesotho or Suriname, Hobson allows, but there are people who collect flags as a hobby, many of whom are children. For that reason, it’s imperative the shop is never caught short.

One of the things Gauthier has learned is demand definitely picks up in the days leading up to major sports events, such as the FIFA World Cup or Olympics. That causes Gauthier, Hobson and her husband Mathew, who’s also involved in the day-to-day affairs, to feel like they’re betting on the outcomes, months ahead of the action.

“The thing is, you never want to order too many of a certain country’s flags, only to see that country get knocked out early and then you’re stuck with 100 of their flags till the next time,” Gauthier explains. “For example, the Euro Cup gets going next month (June 14) and we’ve already ordered more of some (flags) than others. I guess we’ll see if we were right or not.”

Even if you’re not the type to hoist a flag yourself, you’ve likely come across the family’s wares. The Manitoba Legislature is one of its clients, as is the Royal Canadian Mint. Furthermore, the Flag Shop is a past sponsor of the Winnipeg Pride Festival, and also deals with schools, firehalls and police headquarters throughout Manitoba, Nunavut and northwestern Ontario.

It also boasts a service department and “you’re looking at it,” laughs Magda, pointing to herself. (When a reporter arrived, she was tending to a torn Winnipeg Jets Whiteout flag.)

Gauthier adds there is an unfortunate side to their livelihood. When hostilities occur, such as what’s currently taking place in Ukraine and the Middle East, sales invariably go up. “That’s something I hadn’t considered when we started out, but it’s definitely part of doing business.”

The Flag Shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. That’s subject to change, however.

Gauthier was at the store a few Saturdays ago, when it was closed, sweeping the sidewalk. He couldn’t help but notice the large number of passers-by, and even sold a windsock to a woman who asked if she could have a peek inside.

“There wasn’t any foot traffic on Pembina to speak of but that seems to be a different story over here,” Hobson says.

By the way, if you drop by the Flag Shop and notice Gauthier vigorously rubbing the back of his neck, well, that’s just part of the job.

“No matter where I go, I catch myself looking up at flags,” he says with a chuckle. “I have an annual golf trip I take with buddies and as we’re driving along the highway, I’m constantly making mental notes of places with flags that look tattered or torn, telling myself to remember to give ‘em a call when I get back to the office.”

david.sanderson@freepress.mb.ca