The escalating threat of a tariff war between the U.S. and Canada has resulted in a run on flags at Windco in Portugal Cove-St. Philips.

The company has been selling flags and flag poles to the general public for years.

Long-time store employee Donna Thomas says customers have been coming in steadily seeking out Canadian flags, and they’ve already run short of outdoor poles, something they seldom see in the winter months.

Thomas says unfortunate circumstances often result in a desire for people to fly their flags. The last time they saw a run on flags similar to what they’re seeing now was when Russia invaded Ukraine with a high demand for Ukrainian flags.

Thomas says they also saw an increase in demand for COVID flags that they designed during the pandemic, and decades ago they saw an interest in Croatian flags during the war in the Balkans.

Saturday is Flag Day, the anniversary of the adoption of the current maple leaf flag, and Canada’s surviving former prime ministers are all asking Canadians to fly the maple leaf this weekend.