City Hall Flag Protocol & Requests

Purpose

Flags are symbols that identify people belonging to a group and are powerful symbols of honour, identity, pride, and remembrance. The City supports public awareness campaigns, charitable causes, arts and cultural celebrations, and significant events by temporarily Raising or Half-Masting flags.Raising and Half-Masting flags are ceremonial forms of recognition.

Flags flown by the City are treated with respect and dignity and displayed in accordance with recognized standards and ceremonial practices.The city has established a Flag Protocol Policy to guide the respectful and consistent display of flags on City properties and buildings.The City follows accepted guidelines for displaying flags that align with the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada.

The use of the courtesy flagpole neither implies nor expresses support for the politics or policies of nations and/or organizations but raises the flag in recognition of those citizens or members that have made the request.

Request a Flag Raising

Flag raisings enhance public awareness of activities such as fundraising drives, multicultural events, national or independence days, mark special occasions, recognize special events, historical occasions, or awareness months (e.g., Red Cross Month, Cancer Month). The City will fly flags on a temporary basis. Flags of nations, recognizing Lethbridge's ethnic and cultural diversity, may be raised on its national day, once per year. Flags of charitable or nonprofit groups may be raised to celebrate a special event or achievement in Lethbridge. The flags will be raised on the City Hall courtesy flagpole.

Guidlines

Review Process:

All requests are subject to availability
Applications will be acknowledged upon receipt
Flags will not be flown if deemed inappropriate, offensive, or associated with discrimination, violence, political or religious movements.
- Decisions on controversial flags will be made by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Acting Mayor, with consultation from Alberta Protocol and/or the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Only one request per organization per calendar year is permitted.

Requirements:

The request must fall within the Flag Protocol Policy found below.
If the flag is not already on-site, the requesting organization must provide a 3’ x 6’ flag with two grommets to City Hall Operations prior to the event.
Flags must be in excellent condition with no holes or torn fringe.

Duration:

Up to one week unless otherwise approved.

Requests must include:

Date, time, and reason for the Flag Raising
A photo of the flag
Indication of whether a ceremony is desired

Timelines:

Flag Raising only: Submit request at least 14 days in advance
Flag Raising with ceremony: Submit request at least 4 weeks in advance
The requestor must provide the flag a week in advance of the proposed Flag Raising date to the City Clerk’s Office.
- The City Clerk’s Office will contact you to confirm the time and date, timelines for flag delivery and pickup, and other support required.

Cancellations:

The City may need to cancel a scheduled flag raising due to unforeseen circumstances, such as flags being flown at half-mast for solemn occasions. Where possible, alternative arrangements will be made.

Application

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Flag Policy

This policy governs the display, maintenance, and respectful disposal of flags on City property. It supersedes all other flag-related procedures within City departments.

The City of Lethbridge recognizes flags as important cultural and ceremonial symbols. Flags may be flown permanently or temporarily to support public awareness campaigns, charitable causes, cultural celebrations, and significant events.

Only flags of nations recognized by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, or those of recognized community organizations, will be flown. Flags of local professional sports teams may be flown to celebrate national or international championship victories.

Ceremonies for Flag Raisings

If you would like to book an event/ceremony as part of your flag raising at City Hall, you must:

Indicate in the form; and
Obtain a special event permit from the City.

The request must be received a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the proposed date of the flying of the flag.
The Mayor and members of Council may attend a flag raising based on availability.

The City Clerk’s Office will contact you to confirm timelines for flag delivery and pickup, ceremony location, time, date and other support required.

Flags at Half-Mast

Flags may be lowered to half-mast to commemorate special dates such as Remembrance Day or as a measure of respect and condolence when a current public figure or former public office holder passes away.

Flags may be lowered to Half-Mast by directive from:

The Prime Minister’s Office (via Canadian Heritage)
The Premier’s Office (via Alberta Protocol)
The City Clerk’s Office (in consultation with the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Acting Mayor)

Occasions include:

Deaths of national, provincial, or municipal dignitaries
City employees who die in the line of duty
Other solemn events as directed

Designated Half-Mast Dates:

April 9 – Vimy Ridge Day
April 28 – National Day of Mourning
June 23 – Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day
Second Sunday in September – Firefighter’s Memorial Day
Last Sunday in September – Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day
September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
November 11 – Remembrance Day
December 6 – Violence Against Women Remembrance Day

Requests for additional Half-Mast observances must be submitted in writing and will be reviewed by the City Clerk’s Office.

A Half-Mast takes precedence over all Flag Raisings.

Dignitary Visits

During visits from Royal Family members or their representatives, the City Clerk’s Office may arrange for the appropriate Standard to be flown. Flags of twin or sister cities may be displayed temporarily during official delegations or significant events.

Full Flag Protocol Policy

City Hall Flag Protocol & Requests

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