On display during the Mapleton Township Canada Day 150 parade was a Canadian flag, originally flown above the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
While vacationing in Ottawa in 2002, Drayton residents Kerry and Joan Reibeling placed their names on a list with other Canadians interested in receiving one of the Canadian flags originally hung on the flag pole on top of the Peace Tower.
“We signed up to receive a flag and then forgot all about it. In September 2010, a parcel delivered to our home contained a flag from the Peace Tower along with a letter,” Joan Reibeling said.
The letter from then Minister of Public Works and Government Services Rona Ambrose states the enclosed Canadian flag was flown from the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 23, 2010.
The letter also states, “A nation’s flag is the embodiment of what a country represents. During the past 45 years, our flag has come to be regarded with respect and admiration, both at home and abroad. For many people around the world, the red maple leaf has come to stand for hope and compassion. The flag is also a symbol of what people of diverse faiths, cultures and linguistic backgrounds can accomplish and a reminder of the responsibilities that come with citizenship in our great country.”
The Peace Tower flag is changed by the flag master every weekday except statutory holidays and during poor weather. The flag is also changed for half-masting. Other Parliament Hill flags are changed weekly and on days they are at half-mast.
To replace the Peace Tower flag, the flag master folds and places a new flag in a satchel, takes the elevator to the observation deck, and climbs 33 metres of stairs and ladders in order to reach the flag pole. The flag master then lowers the flying flag and raises the new flag. Throughout the 20 to 30 minute process, the flag is never to touch the ground. The flagpole is 35.1 feet in length and the flag is 7.5 feet by 15 feet.
Flags that have been flown on Parliament Hill are donated to Canadian residents by the federal government.
Due to the high demand for the flags, the government can only donate one flag per person or household.
Apply for a flag
via email, fax or online
Canadians unable to register for a Peace Tower Flag in person at the Parliament buildings in Ottawa, can be added to the flag waiting list by applying online, or by mail, email or fax to the Government of Canada.
