|
By GLENN GARNETT
There seem to be a lot more flags snapping smartly in the breeze over Canadian cottages this summer. A lot of that, no doubt, has to do with the shattering events of the past year and the spectacle of Canadian troops headed to war for the first time in fifty years.
But flags have always been a popular feature of our homes away from home. So much so that our national symbol is often neglected. Take that neighbour of yours who nailed a banner to the end of a pole back when disco was hot. Thanks to several years of wind, rain and sun, that washed-out rag says nothing about national pride - instead it seems to indicate he’s ready to surrender.
There is something called flag etiquette and every country has a detailed protocol for its display and treatment. In Canada the Department of Canadian Heritage is the arm of the government most concerned with the proper display of our flag, and while they’re quick to point out it isn’t a felony to give short shrift to the red and white, it’s a respect thing.
It’s well worth the while of anybody considering hoisting our colours to take a few minutes to consider the basics.
“The National Flag of Canada should be displayed only in a manner befitting the national emblem; it should not be subjected to indignity or displayed in a position inferior to any other flag or ensign,” it says on their website (http://www.pch.gc.ca/ceremonial-symb/Etiquette/flag_e.htm).
That means, for starters, your flag should be in good repair. If seagulls have been using it for target practice, most flags can be safely handwashed using most domestic soaps or a detergent that doesn’t contain bleach.
If it’s weather-beaten, torn or - worse - going pastel pink, take it down. Getting rid of a tattered flag presents another protocol pickle - you’re not supposed to toss it into a Glad bag with your spent charcoal briquettes. The correct way to dispose of our flag is to burn it privately.
Occasionally you’ll see some clever cottager has inscribed his name or a motto on the flag as it flutters over his dock. That isn’t kosher either - they went through a hell of a lot of trouble 37 years ago to come up with a clean, distinctive design that still managed to upset half the country when Lester Pearson hoisted it for the first time on February 15, 1965. Oddly enough, the designers didn’t think to add “My Canada Includes Muskoka” along the bottom, and neither should you.
The Canadian flag is not to be used as a table cloth or as a shower curtain in a pinch. It’s a flag - it’s up in the air or out of sight.
If you’re flying multiple flags - say, the Canadian flag, the Ontario flag, and the flag of the Republic of Nick & Tina’s Cottage - the Canadian flag should be in the middle. For two or more than three, the Canadian flag should be on the left. The flag is not to be flown in a "position inferior to any other national flag or ensign.'' So put that Go Leafs Go flag in his proper place.
Our friends south of the border have put considerable thought into the respectful treatment of their flag, and in 1976 - their bicentennial year - U.S. Congress amended the Flag Code to outline the rules, customs and etiquette pertaining to the use of the Stars and Stripes. This includes never dipping the flag to any person or thing, never using it as drapery or decoration and that it should be “hoisted briskly and lowered cautiously.”
The flag is also never to be flown upside down except in cases of “dire distress.”
The Americans also say it’s proper flag etiquette to take your flag down at dusk - although, for dramatic purposes, it may be flown at night if it’s properly lit. We’re not as hung up about that in Canada, but for cottagers that may have more to do with evading mosquitoes.
For both sides of the border, when you lower the flag, be careful how low it goes - it’s not supposed to touch the dock, your yard or your dog. It’s supposed to be gathered in by outstretched arms, folded neatly and stored carefully.
It’s more than a bolt of cloth, after all.
