Rene McKale owns a level of Canadian pride that’s impossible to ignore.
The red and white, maple-leaf-emblazoned flag is literally on most of what McKale owns.
His personal vehicles have Canadian flags. His company vehicles have flags. His clothes and hard-hats, the walls of his home, his golf cart… all have Canadian flags. And McKale’s house and shop have flags too, more than 200 in total.
“There’s 52 here… and between 160 and 170 at my shop,” McKale told CTV News Edmonton.
When asked if friends and family members think he’s a little bit nuts, McKale replied, “Oh yeah."
"They all do, and they’re somewhat accurate in it," he laughed. "I have a very large family and I got them in on the action too. They all have flags up and down everywhere.”
McKale, originally from eastern Canada, is one of 20 siblings. He started his career as a truck driver, and now owns and is CEO of a large trucking company. McKale used to live in the Evergreen Trailer Park--but now he lives in a multi-million dollar home overlooking the North Saskatchewan River.
That’s what he loves about Canada. Live free and work hard, McKale says, and you too can build a better life.
“You think of any other country in the world, where you can live as free as we do. Canada Day means everything. It should mean everything to everybody. It’s the best country in the world, with the best flag!”
McKale collects Canadian memorabilia from local companies, buys it on Amazon and some he makes himself. He custom builds his flag poles out of dollar store broom handles, zip ties, and heavy steal nuts, because they “work better.”
The display is appreciated. A passerby emailed CTV News Edmonton about the flags on McKale’s home, writing the family who lives there “show(s) what patriotic means.”
And while CTV News Edmonton was at McKale's home capturing images for this story, area-resident Lisa Schulz stopped to take a photo for herself.
“This is awesome. I drive by this every day, and I’m like ‘Wow’. Happy Canada Day to you all!” Schulz said.
