Editing Flag of Canada (section)

==Alternative flags==
[[File:Cartwright cenotaph.jpg|thumb|A Canadian Red Ensign, Royal Union Flag, and the flag of Canada flown next to a cenotaph in [[Cartwright, Manitoba]]]]

As a symbol of the nation's membership in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] and allegiance to [[the Crown]], the Royal Union Flag is an official Canadian flag and is flown on certain occasions.<ref name="royal union">{{cite web| date=January 1, 2003| url=http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/etiquette/4_e.cfm| publisher=Department of Canadian Heritage| title=The Royal Union Flag| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060506083650/http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/etiquette/4_e.cfm| archive-date=May 6, 2006}}</ref> Regulations require federal installations to fly the Royal Union Flag beside the national flag when physically possible, using a second flagpole, on the following days: [[Commonwealth Day]] (the second Monday in March), [[Victoria Day]] (the same date as the [[King's Official Birthday#Canada|Canadian sovereign's official birthday]]), and the anniversary of the [[Statute of Westminster 1931|Statute of Westminster]] (December 11). The Royal Union Flag can also be flown at the [[National War Memorial (Canada)|National War Memorial]] or at other locations during ceremonies that honour Canadian involvement with forces of other Commonwealth nations during times of war. The national flag always precedes the Royal Union Flag, with the former occupying the place of honour.<ref name="royal union" />[[File:Royal Standard of Canada.svg|thumb|Royal Standard of Canada (used by [[Charles III]], [[King of Canada]])]]

The Royal Union Flag is also part of the provincial [[flag of Ontario|flags of Ontario]] and [[Flag of Manitoba|Manitoba]], forming the canton of these flags; a stylized version is used on the [[flag of British Columbia]] and the [[flag of Newfoundland and Labrador]].<ref name="royal union" /> Several of the [[Lieutenant governor (Canada)|provincial lieutenant governors]] formerly used a modified union flag as their standard. The last to abolish this design was the [[lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2014-08-06 |title=Symbols of Office |url=https://lt.gov.ns.ca/lieutenant-governor/symbols-office |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia |language=en}}</ref><ref name="royal union" />

The [[Royal standards of Canada#The sovereign|Royal Standard of Canada]] (banner of arms) is an official flag introduced May 6, 2023, and first flown at Government House, Halifax, that day.<ref>| url= https://www.canadiancrown.com/did-you-know.html<nowiki> }}</nowiki></ref>

The Red Ensign is occasionally still used, including official use at some ceremonies. It was flown at the commemorations of the [[Battle of Vimy Ridge]] in 2007.<ref name="globe red ensign" /><ref name="slams red ensign" /> This decision elicited criticism from those who believed it should not have been given equal status to the Canadian flag and received praise from people who believed that it was important to retain the ties to Canada's past.<ref name="globe red ensign">{{cite news|date=March 31, 2007 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070331.weensign31/BNStory/VimyRidge/home |title=Globe Editorial: Red Ensign |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |access-date=March 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080109191107/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070331.weensign31/BNStory/VimyRidge/home |archive-date=January 9, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="slams red ensign">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/dallaire-slams-decision-to-fly-red-ensign/article962783/|title=Dallaire slams decision to fly Red Ensign|last=Peritz|first=Ingrid|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|date=July 9, 2007|access-date=April 13, 2008}}</ref> The Royal Union Flag and Red Ensign are still flown in Canada by veterans' groups and others who continue to stress the importance of Canada's British heritage and the Commonwealth connection.<ref name="royal union" />

{{Multiple image|
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| image1            = Flag of Acadia.svg
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| caption1          = [[Flag of Acadia]]
| image2            = Flag of Quebec.svg
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| caption2          = [[Flag of Quebec]]
}}
In [[Quebec]], the [[Flag of Quebec|provincial flag]] (a white cross on a field of blue with four [[fleurs-de-lis]]) can be considered a national flag along with the Maple Leaf flag, as is the [[Flag of Acadia|Acadian flag]] in the Acadian regions of the [[Maritime provinces]].<ref name="Archbold, Rick"/><ref>{{cite web|access-date=March 25, 2008|url=http://www.canlii.org/qc/laws/sta/d-12.1/20040901/whole.html|title=Flag and emblems of Québec, An Act respecting the, R.S.Q. D-12.1|publisher=CanLii|date=September 1, 2004|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307073647/http://www.canlii.org/qc/laws/sta/d-12.1/20040901/whole.html|archive-date=March 7, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/why-dont-more-canadians-fly-the-flag/article585211/|title=Why don't more Canadians fly the flag?|work=The Globe and Mail|access-date=July 6, 2012|date=2011|quote=Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams ordered Canadian flags taken down from provincial government buildings to protest against a deal with the federal government on sharing offshore royalties.|first=Dave|last=McGinn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706060224/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/why-dont-more-canadians-fly-the-flag/article585211/ |archive-date=July 6, 2012 }}</ref> Public display of Canadian flags is rare in Quebec, with most Quebecers preferring to fly the [[flag of Quebec]] instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/pellerin-when-the-quebec-and-canadian-flags-fly-together-at-a-protest-theres-something-strange-in-the-wind|first=Brigitte|last=Pellerin|work=The Ottawa Citizen|location=Ontario|date=February 25, 2022|title=When the Quebec and Canadian flags fly together at a protest, there's something strange in the wind |quote=I’m from Quebec City and I can tell you how rare it is to see a Canadian flag there.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1998/03/14/quebecs-athletes-blame-flag-for-olympic-distress/|quote=Quebeckers have never particularly warmed to the Maple Leaf, which is not widely displayed in the province dominated by French-speakers.|title=QUEBEC'S ATHLETES BLAME FLAG FOR OLYMPIC 'DISTRESS'|date=March 14, 1998|work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel|location=Florida|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717201417/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1998/03/14/quebecs-athletes-blame-flag-for-olympic-distress/ |archive-date=July 17, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ulethbridge.ca/lib/digitized_collections/ourheritage/rant/canada_day_flag21.html|title=Am I the only one ...|access-date=July 17, 2023|quote=In some parts of quebec you can't fly a canadian flag,that's okay|location=Canada|publisher=University of Lethbridge |work=Our Heritage|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717204246/https://www.ulethbridge.ca/lib/digitized_collections/ourheritage/rant/canada_day_flag21.html |archive-date=July 17, 2023 }}</ref> Display of the flag is also contentious, with the Quebec provincial government ordering that the Quebec flag be given seniority over the Canadian one in the province,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flag-canada-etiquette/position-honour.html|quote=Quebec has decreed that on all buildings under its authority within the province of Quebec, whether it be those of government departments, boards, schools or others, as well as on city halls, the provincial flag of Quebec is given precedence over the National Flag of Canada and must occupy the place of honour.|title= Position of honour of the National Flag of Canada|date=August 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912005935/https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flag-canada-etiquette/position-honour.html |archive-date=September 12, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4259280/montreal-isnt-properly-following-quebecs-flag-protocol-complainants/|title=Montreal isn't properly following Quebec's flag protocol: complainants|work=The Canadian Press|publisher=Global News|location=Canada|date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> and many Quebec government facilities, such as the [[City Hall of Quebec City|Quebec City Hall]], the headquarters of the [[Sûreté du Québec]] and [[Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec|SAAQ]], and the [[Parliament Building (Quebec)|Quebec Parliament]], refusing to fly the Canadian flag at all.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/surete-du-quebec-pride-flag-first-time-headquarters-1.5239811|title=Sûreté du Québec flies pride flag outside their headquarters for first time|work=CBC News|first=Franca G.|last=Mignacca|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810072237/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/surete-du-quebec-pride-flag-first-time-headquarters-1.5239811 |access-date=August 9, 2019|archive-date=August 10, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=DePalma |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony DePalma (author) |date=November 26, 1997 |title=Quebec Journal; To Some Canadians, the Maple Leaf Is a Red Flag |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/26/world/quebec-journal-to-some-canadians-the-maple-leaf-is-a-red-flag.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527070958/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/26/world/quebec-journal-to-some-canadians-the-maple-leaf-is-a-red-flag.html |archive-date=May 27, 2015 |website=The New York Times |quote=Jean-Paul L'Allier, has prohibited the Canadian Maple Leaf from officially flying in front of City Hall since 1990. It was a symbolic retaliation for the defeat, by the rest of Canada, of a constitutional amendment that would have recognized Quebec's special place within the Canadian confederation. |location=New York}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/1701,+rue+Parthenais/@45.5279857,-73.5529544,3a,75y,20.65h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdIX0urV3SKwGRMYkvjggtw!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x4cc91bbc9af1268f:0xd1eeb361733f369d?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi33r-01ZaAAxWCEVkFHV4WCFEQxB16BAgbEAA | title=1701 Rue Parthenais · 1701 Rue Parthenais, Montréal, QC H2K 4S8, Canada }}</ref>