A group of Grade 9 students from Salmon Arm school district recently submitted a redesign proposal for the Smithers flag.
“We were assigned to redesign municipal flags from around B.C., and we chose Smithers because we didn’t think your flag was at its full potential to show off the amazing things your community has to offer,” stated the students in an email to the Town.
As flags are symbolic, there has to be a specific reason to prompt a change according to council.
“The flag was created long before my time on council,” said Mayor Gladys Atrill. “We’ve had no discussion on whether or not we should consider changing it.”
Atrill noted this project was particularly unique, as it was designed by students in the Salmon Arm school district. This is not the first time Atrill has received a proposal for a flag redesign, but usually the proposal is submitted by local students.
“I have found the ones from the local kids really interesting, because they’re thinking about the community too, from their perspective, you know, what they know as residents here. And even with that, we still have not really considered changing it,” said Atrill.
Although the Town will not consider changing the flag at the moment, Atrill welcomes proposals of this nature.
“It’s lovely to have younger people come into the council chambers, either on school tours or with projects or whatever brings them in, you know, they are the folks that are going to be sitting in those seats in the future,” she said.