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Flag Policy

Category: Administrative
Approval: VPOC
Responsibility: Office of the Principal (Relationship and Protocol Manager)
Date: April 8, 2019

Purpose/Reason for Policy:

The purpose of the Queen’s flag policy is to ensure that all flags flown at Queen’s are flown in an appropriate and consistent manner. The policy and its attached procedures provide clarity on the routine flying of official flags on campus, and the processing of requests to raise a flag that is not an official flag. Direction is also given on the lowering of flags to half-mast to mark a death (either of a member of the Queen’s community, a prominent Kingstonian, or a public official as defined by the ), or to mark a commemorative date.

Procedure documents supporting this policy are:

  1. Procedure for the raising of flags
  2. Procedure for the lowering of flags to half-mast
  3. Procedure for the erection of additional flagpoles
  4. Procedure for the creation of new flags

Official flags flown on approved Queen’s flagpoles:

  1.  National Flag of Canada
  2. Provincial Flag of Ontario
  3. Queen’s Ceremonial Flag (Square flag with the University’s coat of arms)
  4. Queen’s Tricolour Flag (Flag representing the 3 colours of the University, with the logo of a crown at the top left corner)
  5. Smith School of Business Flag (Flag with the logo of the Smith School of Business)

Scope of this Policy:

The policy shall apply to all Queen’s University buildings that have an approved flagpole, as listed below:

  1. Donald Gordon Centre – 3 x flagpoles atop the entrance veranda routinely flying the Canadian Flag, the Ontario Flag, and the Queen’s Tricolour Flag.
  2. Goodes Hall - Smith School of Business Flag.
  3. Grant Hall – Queen’s Ceremonial Flag.
  4. John Deutsch University Centre (sometimes referred to as central campus flagpole) – Queen’s Tricolour Flag.
  5. Ontario Hall – The Provincial Flag of Ontario, or when protocol dictates the standard of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
  6. Richardson Stadium – 3 x flagpoles flying the Canadian Flag, the Queen’s Tricolour Flag and the 3 Vanier Cup Championship flags on game days. (These flags are managed by Athletics and Recreation)
  7. Summerhill – Queen’s Tricolour Flag (This flag is managed by the Office of Advancement).
  8. Theological Hall – National Flag of Canada.
  9. Mitchell Hall – Queen’s Tricolour Flag.

Flags will not be raised for:

  • Matters of political controversy, ideological or religious beliefs, or individual conviction;
  • Events or organizations with no direct relationship to Queen’s University; or
  • Campaigns intended for profit making purposes.

Other requests, including those that may be contentious or ambiguous, will be decided at the discretion of the Principal.

Lowering of flags to half-mast:

Flags lowered to half-mast in the event of a Queen’s (or applicable Kingstonian) death shall be lowered before 8:00 a.m. on the day of the funeral, or celebration of life where applicable. Where neither a funeral nor celebration of life is to be held, an appropriate date will be identified by the Office of the Principal, taking into account any particular sensitivities with regards to the family of the deceased.  Flags are to be returned to full mast at sunset, unless other arrangements have been made at the discretion of the Office of the Principal and in co-ordination with Physical Plant Services FIXIT.

Mandatory flag-lowering of the National Flag of Canada shall be carried out, in accordance with the relevant guideline for the individual death, or particular commemoration, as per the Canadian Government .

Policy Statement:

Queen’s University will fly both the Canadian National Flag, the Provincial Flag of Ontario, and the Queen’s Tricolour Flag on its premises on a permanent basis. Other official flags may also be flown on campus and may be raised daily on approved flagpoles, or intermittently to mark special events and commemorations. Requests to fly flags that are not official flags will be considered on a case-by-case basis as per procedure. Queen’s will lower flags to half-mast when appropriate as per procedure.

Responsibilities:

The Office of the Principal shall receive requests, either to raise a flag that is not an official Queen’s flag, or to lower flags to half-mast, via the Executive Assistant (EA) to the Principal who will notify Physical Plant Services (PPS). When the policy and procedures have been followed, or under extenuating circumstances, have been approved by the Principal, the EA to the Principal will guide PPS as to the duration that a flag should be flown, or lowered to half-mast. Where there is a recommendation by the EA to deny a request, the Principal will have the final say.

Physical Plant Services (PPS) will be responsible for replacing flags over which they have jurisdiction, when it has been deemed necessary by either PPS or the Executive Assistant to the Principal. 

Contact Officer: Office of the Principal, Relationship and Protocol Manager

Date for Next Review: 2024

Related Policies, Procedures and Guidelines:

Policies Superseded by This Policy: N/A