The Story of Canada's Flag

APPENDIX D

Flag Etiquette

1. A flag should be treated with dignity and deference. Faded, torn or dirty flags should not be flown. They do not stimulate pride in the national colours or elicit respect from the people of other nations.
2. The Royal Standard
   

   (a) The Royal Standard is the personal flag of the sovereign. It is hoisted on public buildings, forts, on board ship or on parade only when Her Majesty is actually present. On board ship the Royal Standard is hoisted at the main and the Canadian flag at the mizzen.

   The Royal Standard may be hoisted on parade when the parade is held in honour of the birthday of the sovereign.

3. The Governor-General's Flag
   

   (a) The Governor-General's flag is the personal standard of His Excellency. It is flown in public buildings, forts, on parade, or in marine craft only when he is personally present.

4. The Canadian Flag
   

   (a) The national colours should be flown daily from sunrise to sunset. They should not be flown at night. Failure to lower the flag at sunset is simply a matter of ignorance or bad manners.

   (b) The national colours may properly be used to drape an altar or lectern during a religious service. They should not be used for signalling.

   (c) The national colours should not be flown from the same staff as the flag of any other nation, and never at a level below that of any other national flag. To do so is a sign of surrender and subordination. The use of foreign flags by the general public in Canada is a practice that should be discouraged. It is both an insult to the foreign flag and a denial of Canadian sovereignty to fly foreign flags except as a gesture of honour upon a national holiday such as July 4 (United States) or July 14 (France).

5. On Board Ship
   

   (a) On board ships of war colours are always worn except for the period between sunset and sunrise when alongside. When alongside ships wear their colours right forward and right aft, and when at sea from the after mast. Merchant vessels generally wear their colours right aft. This last also applies to private yachts and other marine craft.

   (b) There are no regulations requiring a merchant vessel to dip her colours to a man-ofwar. It is, however, an act of custom and courtesy.

6. Flag at Half-Mast
   

   (a) The origin of half-masting as an act of mourning is obscure. It has been suggested that it is simply a variant on the old rule that the flag of a victor is hoisted above that of the vanquished. Since Death is the victor, Death's invisible standard flies above that of the nation, province, town or house.

   (b) The custom of half-masting is well established. At sea flags are half-masted during the funeral of any member of the ship's company. Flags are also half-masted on the decease of any distinguished person. This may be done on a country-wide basis on the authority of the federal government, or on a provincial or local basis on the authority of the provincial or municipal government concerned.

   (c) When flags are half-masted, they should be hoisted close up and then immediately lowered to a position in which the centre of the flag is in line with a point midway between the top of the mast and ground or roof level as applicable. When a flag is lowered from the half-mast position, it should first be hoisted close up and then lowered in the usual manner.

7. Breaking-out a Flag
   

   (a) The procedure here is to roll the flag in a bundle, secure it with a slip knot, hoist it, and when the appropriate moment arrives, give a smart pull on the halyard containing the slip knot. If properly done the flag should break-out into the wind.

   
   
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