Mayor asks people to settle down after American flag hoisted in downtown Peachland

Photo: District of Peachland

It seems some residents aren't too thrilled to see an American flag hoisted high above Heritage Park in downtown Peachland.

The flag was erected as part of the set for a Hallmark movie being filmed in the municipality.

One man working on the production said crews "got screamed at for flying a prop American flag in Peachland."

The flap was enough to prompt Mayor Cindy Fortin to take to social media Wednesday, asking residents not to make a big deal out of it.

"As much as I don’t like to see the flag either, please let’s not make this a bigger issue than it is. They are depicting an American town, just like many companies do when they film in Canada," she posted on Facebook.

"And Peachland sure could use a boost to our economy. If we want to take advantage of some of the economic benefit of the growing film industry in the Okanagan, we can’t start protesting things like a temporary flag for filming purposes, or the name of the town being changed to something American, or European, or elsewhere.

"We’ve had a few small films use locations in Peachland, and the names have been changed."

The town's name has been changed to Crystal Cove for the movie, titled "Romance at Crystal Cove."

"People know this is fictional, and they are only filming for a few days.

"Thank you for your understanding. Let's not make this a bigger deal than it is for the chance we scare away other economic opportunities."