Editing Flag of Canada (section)

==Promoting the flag==
[[File:Items from the Canadian Parliamentary Flag Program.jpg|thumb|A sample of items from the Parliamentary Flag Program]]
Since the Canadian flag was adopted in 1965, the Canadian government has sponsored programs to promote it. Examples include the Canadian Parliamentary Flag Program of the [[Department of Canadian Heritage]] <!--year range, or "since [year]" for each of these two (and remove the stub sentence I now see further on about 1973)-->and the flag program run by the [[Public Works and Government Services Canada|Department of Public Works]]. These programs increased the exposure of the flag and the concept that it was part of the national identity. To raise awareness of the new flag, the Parliamentary Flag Program was set up in December 1972 by the Cabinet<!--This refers back to the previous mention; so cite the PWGSC first, then this one, and run it into this more detailed bit --> and, beginning in 1973,<ref>{{cite web| date = January 1, 2003| url = http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/actvt/111-eng.cfm| title = Administration of the Parliamentary Flag Program| publisher = [[Department of Canadian Heritage]]| access-date = May 20, 2006| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081220170228/http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/actvt/111-eng.cfm| archive-date = December 20, 2008| df = mdy-all}}</ref> allowed members of the House of Commons to distribute flags and lapel pins in the shape of the Canadian flag to their constituents. Full-size flags that have been flown on [[Peace Tower]] and four other locations on [[Parliament Hill]] are packaged by the Department of Public Works and offered to the public free of charge. As of March 2019, the program has a waiting list of over 100 years for both Peace Tower flags, which are {{convert|7.5|by|15|ft|m|order=flip}} in size, and for flags from the other four locations (one on each side of [[Centre Block]] and one each over [[East Block|East]] and [[West Block|West]] Blocks), which are {{convert|4.5|by|9|ft|m|order=flip}}.<ref name="Parliament-Flag-Request">{{cite web|date=March 21, 2019|access-date=March 21, 2019|url=http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/citeparlementaire-parliamentaryprecinct/decouvrez-discover/drapeaux-demander-flags-request-eng.html|title=Request a flag online (new request) - Canada's Parliamentary Precinct|publisher=[[Government of Canada]]}}</ref>

Since 1996, February 15 has been commemorated as [[National Flag of Canada Day]].<ref name=flagfest /> In 1996, Minister of Canadian Heritage [[Sheila Copps]] instituted the One in a Million National Flag Challenge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/newsroom/index_e.cfm?fuseaction=displayDocument&DocIDCd=6NR032|title=Heritage Minister Sheila Copps Launches "One In A Million National Flag" Campaign|publisher=[[Department of Canadian Heritage]]|date=February 19, 1996|author=Dee, Duncan|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312015242/http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/newsroom/index_e.cfm?fuseaction=displayDocument&DocIDCd=6NR032|archive-date=March 12, 2007}}</ref> Canadian Heritage put the expenses at $15.5&nbsp;million, with approximately a seventh of the cost offset by donations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pch.gc.ca/newsroom/index_e.cfm?fuseaction=displayDocument&DocIDCd=7NR233|title=Canadians Meet the "One in a Million National Flag" Challenge|publisher=[[Department of Canadian Heritage]]|date=February 15, 1997|author=Arnsby, Julia|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516122456/http://www.pch.gc.ca/newsroom/index_e.cfm?fuseaction=displayDocument&DocIDCd=7NR233|archive-date=May 16, 2007}}</ref>

In February 2025, in the lead up to the 60th anniversary of the Canadian maple leaf flag, former prime ministers [[Kim Campbell]], [[Jean Chrétien]], [[Joe Clark]], [[Stephen Harper]] and [[Paul Martin]] encouraged Canadians to show national pride and fly the flag "like never before" in the light of [[2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico|"threats and insults" to Canadian sovereignty]] by United States President [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colley |first=Mark |date=2025-02-12 |title=Five Former Prime Ministers Say Canada Is Worth Fighting for in Face of Donald Trump’s ‘Threats and Insults’ Ahead of Flag Day |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/five-former-prime-ministers-say-canada-is-worth-fighting-for-in-face-of-donald-trumps/article_dcb6345c-e960-11ef-a114-6735bac14f39.html |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}</ref>