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TITLE:
NUMBER:
DATE APPROVED BY COUNCIL:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Municipal Flag Flying Policy
POL-2022-02
September 14, 2022
September 14, 2022
Mayor
Chief Administrative Officer
## General Statement of Policy
It shall be the policy of the Rural Municipality of North Shore ("Municipality") to provide clarity and direction respecting the flying of flags on municipal property.
## Policy Objectives
1. To establish a policy that provides a constant protocol for flying flags on properties and flag poles owned by the Municipality
2. To provide guidelines for use of the special purpose flag pole at North Shore Community Centre
3. To establish protocol for when the Canadian flag will be flown at half-mast.
## Policy
1. Protocol and Etiquette for Flag Flying on Municipal Property
2. 1.1. It shall be the policy of the Municipality of North Shore that no flag, other than the National flag, the Provincial Flag, the Municipal flag, and the First Nation flag will be flown from a Municipally owned and maintained flag pole. (See Appendix A - Inventory of Flag Poles), with the exception of the Municipally owned Single mast flag pole located to the left of the North Shore Community Centre. This flag pole will be designated the Special Purpose flag pole, and may fly flags noted in Section 2.
3. 1.2. Flags other than those mentioned may be flown when appropriate, in accordance to Section 2 of this policy.
4. 1.3. Flags shall be flown in a manner consistent with flag etiquette of the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage
## POL-2022-02 Municipal Flag Flying Policy
## 2. Flying Flags of Non Profit Organizations
The Rural Municipality of North Shore receives requests periodically from community organizations to fly the flag of their group on a municipally owned flag pole. To enable meeting these requests in a fair and equitable manner, the Municipality has established protocol and a location for flying non-profit organizations flags.
- 2.1. The Municipally owned Single Mast Flag Pole located to the left of the North Shore Community Centre is designated as the Special Purpose Flag Pole for non-profit organizations that request their flags be flown for a certain period of time;
- 2.2. Approved flags from non-profit organizations will be permitted on the Special Purpose Flag Pole located at the North Shore Community Centre;
- 2.3. All applications must be received in writing (Appendix B - Request for a Community Flag to be flown) from non-profit organizations wishing to have their flag flown. Applications are to be submitted a minimum of 1 month prior to the date the group would like the flag flown. A calendar will be maintained by the office of the CAO to track availability. Consideration will be given to the order in which requests are received.
- 2.4. All applications for the Special Purpose flag pole will require approval by Council at a Council meeting.
- 2.5. Approved applicants must provide the flag they wish to have flown at least 1 week prior to the date it is to be flown, and pick it up within a week of it being removed. The Municipality will not fly a flag that is in poor condition.
- 2.6. The maximum period for a special purpose flag to be flown is 2 weeks.
- 2.7. Exceptions to this are the flags of local significance from groups that may not have an established community organization to submit on their behalf (Appendix C - List of Recurring Flags). The Municipality will maintain these flags in their flag inventory, and will continue to purchase them until such a time as a community organization is formed.
- 2.8. The Rural Municipality of North Shore will not approve applications from community organizations in support of:
- 2.8.1. Political parties
- 2.8.2. Religious groups
- 2.8.3. Community groups or organizations that support social or racial intolerance, violence or hatred.
- 2.8.4. Notwithstanding Section 1 and Section 2, other governmental flags may be flown on the special purpose flag pole as deemed appropriate by Council, as in the case of a visiting dignitary for the duration of their visit to the Municipality.
- 2.9. When there is no special purpose flag flown on the flag pole, the Rural Municipality of North Shore flag will be flown.
- 2.10. The public will be advised of the significance of the flag being flown on the Special Purpose Flag Pole through communications efforts on the Municipality's social media pages.
## 3. Protocol for Flying a Flag at Half Mast
Flags flown at half-mast signify a period of mourning, respect for lives lost, or to commemorate a solemn occasion. When a flag is to be flown at half mast, the flag is to be raised to the top of the mast, and immediately slowly lowered to half-mast. When one flag is lowered to half mast, all other flags flown together with it should also be flown at half mast, following the same protocol. The CAO will advise staff to lower flags on Town owned flag poles to half-mast.
- 3.1. From the time of notification of death, until sunset on the day of the funeral or memorial service, flags in the Rural Municipality of North Shore will be flown at halfmast for the following dignitaries:
- 3.1.1. The Sovereign, the Governor General, and the Prime Minister
- 3.1.2. The Sovereign's family
- 3.1.3. Former Governor General
- 3.1.4. Former Prime Minister
- 3.1.5. Lieutenant Governor
- 3.1.6. The Premier
- 3.1.7. Following the lead of the Province of Prince Edward Island, when they initiate a half mast flying of the Provincial flag
- 3.2. From the time of notification of death until sunset on the day of the funeral or memorial service, flags in the Rural Municipality of North Shore will be lowered to halfmast in recognition of persons residing in the Municipality whose duties were in the field of protective services (ie; RCMP, Canadian military personnel, fire fighter/first responder) whose lives were lost in the line of duty.
- 3.3. From the time of notification of death until sunset the day of the funeral or memorial service, flags in the Rural Municipality of North Shore will be lowered to half-mast out of respect for those who served the Municipality in the following capacities:
- 3.3.1. Mayor or former Mayor of the Rural Municipality of North Shore.
- 3.3.2. Councilor or former Councilor of the Rural Municipality of North Shore.
- 3.3.3. Staff of the Rural Municipality of North Shore
- 3.4. Flags will be flown at half-mast to commemorate lives lost in tragic national or international events. In these circumstances, a decision to lower flags, and the duration they will remain at half-mast will be reflective of the practice of the Province and/or the Rules for half-masting the National Flag of Canada.
- 3.5. The Flags at the Cenotaph shall be placed at half-mast from Sunrise to Sunset on Remembrance Day November 11th.
- 3.6. Other individuals may be recognized by the act of lowering the flags to half-mast at the direction of Council.
- 3.7. Any resident or staff member of the Rural Municipality of North Shore may advise the CAO's office of the details (individual's name, qualifications for recognition, and date of funeral or memorial service) pertaining to those individuals included under 3.3.1 to 3.3.3 inclusive.
- 3.8. The CAO will arrange for the flags to be lowered to half-mast.
## POL-2022-02 Municipal Flag Flying Policy
- 3.9. The public will be advised of the solemn occasion for which the flag is being flown at halfmast through communications efforts on the Rural Municipality of North Shore's social media pages.
## APPENDIX "A" - Inventory of Flag Poles Inventory of Municipally Owned Flag Poles
| Location | Number of Poles | Flag(s) Flown |
|------------------------------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| North Shore Community Centre | Three (3) | At Cenotaph, Canadian Flag and PEl Flag. At single pole to left of building, Special Purpose Flag or Rural Vunicipality of North Shore Flas when not in use for Special Purposes, First Nations Flag for 1 week in September and the Canadian Flag on Canada Day |
| Stanhope Place | One (1) | Canadian Flag or First Nations Flag for 1 week in September |
| Grand Tracadie School Centre | One (1) | Canadian Flag or First Nations Flag for 1 week in September |
## POL-2022-02 Municipal Flag Flying Policy
## APPENDIX "B" - Application Form
Application for Flying a Flag on the Special Purpose Flag Pole located to the left of the North Shore Community Centre.
Consideration will be given to the order in which applications are received.
Please note: To have an application placed on an upcoming Council agenda for approval, submit this form at least one month prior to the date being requested. Once Council reaches a decision, you will be advised by staff through the contact information you provide below. Approved applicants must provide the flag noted in their application at least one week prior to the date of the flag being flown, and will be requested to provide a jpeg of their flag, along with promotional text/media release. Approved flags may be dropped off at the North Shore Community Centre Municipal Office 2120 Covehead Ra, West Covehead PE during business hours.
Community Organization Requesting Flag to be flown:
Flag to be flown:
Significance of Flag: If additional space is required, please attach information to the application form. This information may be used in Rural Municipality of North Shore social media posts regarding the flag being flown:
Contact person:
Contact address:
Contact Phone:
Contact Email address:
Please indicate the dates of the two (2) week period that your organization would like the flag flown, along with a second choice should the first choice be unavailable:
First Choice:
Second Choice:
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY: Date/Time Received:
- [ ] Meets Policy:
- [ ] \_Yes\_
- [ ] No\_
CAO initials
## POL-2022-02 Municipal Flag Flying Policy
## APPENDIX C - List of Recurring Flags Recurring Flags to Fly on the Special Purpose Flag Pole
## Flags/Event Date/Approximate Dates
First Nations Flag/National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Sept 30/ One week encompassing Sept 30