Surrey鈥檚 giant Canadian flag came floating to earth early Saturday (Dec. 19) during a big wind storm.
Thankfully, members of were there to collect it while on patrol.
The Guildford-area flag, which measures 80 by 50 feet, fell in front of vehicles driven by the organization鈥檚 staff member Jaspreet Jandhu and volunteer Darren Brierley.
鈥淏ecause of COVID rules, they drive separate vehicles right now,鈥� said Karen Reid Sidhu, executive director of Surrey Crime Prevention Society.
鈥淭hey just went through the light on 104th (Avenue), around 12:30 early Saturday, and the flag literally fell from the sky in front of them. They had to back up the work vehicle, because it got caught up in the tires and was strewn all over the road. The thing is the size of a football field.鈥�
The crime prevention group tweeted photos of the flag rescue Saturday afternoon.
Last night our team was out observing & reporting in the when fell from the sky! Yes that鈥檚 right - the flag on the big pole came off & landed in front of the teams vehicle. Everyone is safe & the flag is now home
鈥� Surrey Crime Prevention Society (@PreventCrimes)
鈥淭here were no vehicles around at the time, thank goodness,鈥� Reid Sidhu added. 鈥淪o they dragged if off the street and into the parking lot, opened it up and then folded it up as best they could.
鈥淐ould you imagine if it had landed on a vehicle? It would have caused an accident, for sure.鈥�
Later that morning, the flag was delivered back to operators of Go North Surrey GM.
鈥淭hey were so appreciative, because it wasn鈥檛 damaged and it鈥檚 worth around $5,000,鈥� Reid Sidhu said.
The wind 鈥渨as pretty spectacular that night,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he fact that it didn鈥檛 rip and didn鈥檛 fly into the Sheraton building, it鈥檚 amazing. It鈥檚 quite light when it鈥檚 not rolled up, because then it鈥檚 pretty heavy, and it just floated down to the street.鈥�
It鈥檚 going to take a few days to get the flag back flying again, according to what the dealership management told Sidhu and her team.
鈥� RELATED STORY: .
In early November, for the first time in close to a year, a giant flag waved in the wind above the car dealership. The landmark flagpole is located on property where a Barnes Wheaton car dealership operated until the Oct. 1 transfer of ownership to Go North Surrey GM.
In the months prior to November, repairs to the pole鈥檚 interior ladder and winch systems stalled attempts to fly the flag, with all-new ropes, rigging and more.
The 86-metre flagpole was brought to Surrey from the Expo 86 site in Vancouver in 1987, a year after the fair ended. Auto dealer Sherrold Haddad,who brought the flagpole to his business at a cost of close to $250,000, died last March at age 90. to Barnes Wheaton.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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