You can’t miss it.

When you look to downtown Cochrane, high above it all is the iconic Canadian flag that is a source of pride for Avenue Commercial owner Steve Butt.

The flag flies on an 80 ft. pole in the Avenue strip mall, adjacent to 5th Ave. The flag itself is 15 feet by 30 feet and is the largest Canadian flag flying in Cochrane. It’s a zone flag, the highest quality flag you can get in that size.

“The unfortunate thing, of course, is that they are not sitting on the store shelves,” says Chris Konanz, of the company. “You have to custom order these things and with the amount of wind involved it lasts about nine months before they need to be replaced.”

All in, it costs the company about $2,000 every time the flag needs to be replaced. Keeping it looking good remains an important priority of the company, even though maintaining the flag wasn’t a condition when Avenue purchased a major part of the mall area about five years ago.

“We decided as a company it was an important landmark for the community and regardless of the cost involved, we are very much supporters of Canada and the Armed Forces. Avenue really strives to be supportive of whatever we can in Cochrane. We have a couple of properties there, we really like the community and we like to do what we can to show support for everyone there.”

The family of Steve Butt, president and founder of the company, has been involved in the armed forces for many generations.

“For him, it’s a big source of pride be to able to put up and maintain a Canadian flag to show support.”

“We demand as a company that if there’s a flag pole on the property it will always to be flying and always to be looking good.”

A flag at that height, though, has its challenges, especially the high winds that sail through Cochrane.

“Unfortunately the wind does sheer at it. We try to get on it as fast as we can.”

Once ordered, the flag takes about three to four weeks to arrive.

The pole is constructed in such a way that raising a new flag isn’t a high profile event. It’s a little different when the pole cap, which allows the flag to move freely, requires maintenance. A crane will be brought in next year to complete the servicing.

“It’s a tough economic climate, us included, but there are certain things you don’t scrimp on and that includes keeping landmarks up and running. We’re willing to keep doing that. As long as we own that property, we’re going to keep that flag flying.”