It has taken the City of Yorkton a year to come up with a plan to deal with flag raising requests, but at least they generally got it right.
It was back in May 2016 when Yorkton Tribal Council Chief Isabel O ’Soup, representing the six First Nations under Treaty 4, requested a flag raising to mark National Aboriginal Day on June 21, 2016 and further requested that it remain flying permanently at City Hall.
Following that a second request came to Council last December.
Typically the building that houses the R.C.M.P. has a flag flying in order to assist in identifying a station’s location, suggested Staff Sgt. Jeff Simpson at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday.
The City Detachment of the R.C.M.P. being located in the City Hall building requested the ‘Royal Canadian Mounted Police – F Division’ flag be flown at Yorkton City Hall Park.
At the time Staff Sgt. Jeff Simpson noted typically the building that houses the R.C.M.P. has a flag flying in order to assist in identifying a station’s location.
Both the Treaty 4 and RCMP requests have merit.
According to the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, “The Truth and Reconciliation Commission asks Canadians to acknowledge and understand our collective past as a way to move us toward a stronger and healthier future, with 'relationships embedded in mutual recognition and respect'.”
And Council was certainly on side with that view, and the decision Monday allows for a permanent home for the flag.
The RCMP request last December was favourably received by Council, and again the decision Monday gives that flag a permanent home with a new pole to be erected in front of the detachment.
Other organizations will find their flags homeless at City Hall.
Last year there were eight requests.
At this Monday’s meeting Darcy McLeod Director Date Community Development, Parks & Recreation with the City explained, community organizations have used flag raisings and proclamations as an opportunity to build awareness about their organization or their cause in the community. Further, a flag raising and/or proclamation shows the City’s support for the initiative as well. Typically, the flag raising includes a photo opportunity for the local media, which generates additional publicity. In order to obtain approval to fly their flag on the courtesy flag pole, the group must make a formal presentation/request to Council and obtain a resolution from Council.
Under the new process flag raisings will be replaced with an enhanced proclamation process including the presentation of a physical proclamation as well as offering a photo opportunity at the Council meeting when the proclamation is made.
That looks after the immediate media coverage, but it forgets one element of a flag flying for a period of time, the community having the chance to see it flapping in a breeze which may then get them thinking about the reason that flag is there.
That could open the door for a group such as the Yorkton Business Improvement District, or similar group to work with the city on a community events flag pole potentially in a high visibility are such as Western Financial Group City Centre Park, filling the hole in the City’s new policy.
