Attn: Mayor and Council,

RE: Raise the National, Provincial and Municipal Flags ONLY!

I am writing regarding the recent council vote that chose not to immediately address a growingly divisive policy issue: the use of taxpayer-funded civic flagpoles to display or commemorate flags tied to foreign countries, political movements, and special-interest organizations, including the vote on raising the Palestinian flag at Calgary City Hall. I commend Councillors Ward, Johnston, Jamieson, Tyers, Chabot, Tyers, and MacLean, along with Mayor Farkas, for voting in favour of addressing this concern through formal policy review, prioritising civic neutrality and equal representation as guided by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

At the recent UCP Annual General Meeting a policy resolution was passed to “allow only official government flags, specifically Canada, Alberta and/or official Municipality flags, to be flown on Provincial Government, Municipal Buildings or Alberta Government tax funded property.” Therefore, the City of Calgary must align with this new mandate.

In addition, it is critical to note that the act of planting a flag signifies presence, sovereignty, and control over a territory. The raising of a foreign flag on national soil typically serves as a visible declaration of allegiance and support with that nation and its people, representing shared values or a common cause.

According to the City of Calgary Flag Policy CP2016-07 5.3.1(c) ii and iv:

ii. The City may not normally fly flags which may be considered controversial or divisive.
iv. The City will not fly flags of a commercial, religious, or partisan nature.

The “Duty of State Neutrality” stipulates that neutrality must be adhered to and upheld by elected officials and must be done so without favour and in respect of the law. Giving special recognition to any one group is divisive and unlawful. The Supreme Court of Canada addressed this issue in Mouvement laïque québécois v. Saguenay (City), 2015 SCC 16, [2015] 2 S.C.R. 3 (para 72 -74)1 which states:

[74] By expressing no preference, the state ensures that it preserves a neutral public space that is free of discrimination and in which true freedom to believe or not to believe is enjoyed by everyone equally, given that everyone is valued equally.

I cite Mayor Farkas’ comments to the Western Standard on November 13, 2025:

​“The City of Calgary’s longstanding Flag Policy allows citizens to request the raising of national flags from countries officially recognized by the Government of Canada, on their designated national days…However, over the past several days, Calgarians from many communities have reached out with serious concerns about how national flag-raisings, of any country, can unintentionally heighten tensions here at home. These events, even when well-intentioned, increasingly risk becoming flashpoints for conflict … City Hall must be a place that brings people together. National flags, particularly during times of global conflict, can have the opposite effect: instead of creating unity, they can create division, escalate emotions, and make some Calgarians feel unsafe in a place that belongs to all of us… For that reason, I will bring forward an urgent Notice of Motion at next week’s City Council meeting to amend the Flag Policy so that national flags will no longer be raised at City Hall through this request process. This change would apply equally to all countries.”

I agree with Mayor Farkas, and I submit that the raising of international, political, and special interest group flags violates the above-mentioned City of Calgary Flag Policy, as well as the newly passed provincial policy, and the Council’s duty of neutrality. By continuing this policy, the City is perpetuating division and partisanship.

Therefore, I call on the Mayor and council to immediately amend the Flag Policy so that only the federal flag of Canada, the provincial flag of Alberta, and the municipal flag of Calgary be permitted to be raised in all public spaces, including City Hall.

Respectfully,

[Your Name].