Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has put forward a controversial proposal that could reshape municipal practices across Canada: ending the tradition of raising foreign flags at city halls. The move comes as these ceremonies increasingly become flashpoints for community division rather than symbols of unity.
Why Foreign Flag Raisings Are Creating Division
Municipal flag-raising policies, which likely began as well-intentioned gestures of inclusivity, have recently sparked significant controversy in cities nationwide. Calgary's current policy requires that any country recognized by Canada may have their flag flown at City Hall on their national day. However, Mayor Farkas argues that these ceremonies have evolved from unifying events into sources of conflict.
Recent months have seen heated debates surrounding flag raisings for both Israel and Palestine at various city halls. The situation became particularly contentious after Canada officially recognized a Palestinian State in September 2025. Cities like Mississauga and Toronto experienced such intense division over flag ceremonies that attempted court injunctions were filed to stop them.
Questionable Regimes Honored Through Current Policies
The fundamental problem with current municipal flag policies, according to critics, is that cities must honor any country recognized by the federal government—regardless of that nation's human rights record. This means Canadian municipalities have inadvertently celebrated governments with documented histories of repression and abuse.
Toronto raised the flag of Uganda on October 9, 2025—a country where homosexuality is punishable by death and basic freedoms are severely restricted. Similarly, Calgary raised the flag of Eritrea in May 2025, despite the country facing accusations of extrajudicial killings and sexual violence in the Tigray region. Both Eritrea and Ethiopia, whose flag Toronto raised on September 11, criminalize same-sex relations.
Perhaps most concerning is the precedent set by recognizing Palestine. As Farkas noted, this means honoring a state governed partially by Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by Canada, and the Palestinian Authority, which faces credible allegations of torture, arbitrary arrests, and extrajudicial killings.
A National Solution to a Growing Problem
Mayor Farkas plans to introduce a motion this week to end foreign flag raisings at Calgary City Hall, hoping other municipalities will follow suit. The proposal highlights that municipalities have no constitutional role in foreign affairs and should not be placed in the position of having to honor regimes whose values conflict with Canadian principles.
Under the current system, theoretically, the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran could fly at Canadian government facilities—a scenario Farkas and supporters of the ban find unacceptable. The motion represents a growing recognition that celebrating foreign governments through flag ceremonies doesn't necessarily honor diaspora communities but instead shows respect to the regimes in power, regardless of their human rights records.
As Canadian cities continue to navigate increasingly complex international tensions manifesting at the local level, Calgary's proposal may set a new standard for municipal neutrality in foreign affairs. The outcome of this week's vote could determine whether other cities across Canada follow Calgary's lead in rethinking their flag policies.
