Half Masting the Ensign... Hopefully its a Mature Discussion

[Underway]

So today I noticed that the Canada Flag (ensign) was back to full mast height after it being half masted due the tragedy in Wainwright.

And it started a discussion at work regarding half masting for CAF members who lose their life.

I understand that what follows could be an awkward and/or deeply emotional subject for some here. And maybe its too early. Please try to understand the care in which I'm trying to approach this subject, and only do so because I trust that we'll be learn from the discussion and each other.

A little history here, it wasn't until Afghanistan that the ensign was dropped to half mast for casualties. I'm not sure of the full details but there was a political push to drop the flag on the Peace Tower to half mast every time we lost a life in Afghanistan. Previous to that the ensign was kept flying high and only dropped for the natural ceremonial reasons (Remembrance Day, Death of Monarch/PM etc...).

So my position during the discussion today was that this is a mistake, not because I don't care about casualties and am a heartless jackass, or that we don't need to have some recognition of those who paid the ultimate price but one of a different perspective.

1. If were to lose my life, in uniform doing the business, I did it so that flag would stay flying. High and proud. Dropping the flag for me is kinda the opposite of why I do what I do. It doesn't dip for me, it flies because of my efforts. Don't bring it closer to the ground. Honour me by keeping it flying!

2. If Canada god forbid ends up in a major conflict, then are we going to have it half mast for the entire war? Every day there will be casualties. Perhaps dozens. No, fly the flag to show we are unbowed and unbroken. That grief will not stop us, "failing hands we throw the torch". The flag goes to half mast to remember sacrifices on Remembrance Day and only that day.

3. The push to put the flag at half mast every time there is a casualty strikes me to some extent as political, performative grief, virtue signaling* and perhaps disingenuous. At least some of the time. Possibly because of the political nature of how it came to be.
I understand and accept that this may be a completely different feeling for others. This may be the main way they genuinely express support or grief and is a way to "do something" when the situation is out of their control. Yellow ribbon felt a bit different because it was usually purchased and the money went to charities to support the troops/families. Same with a poppy.

4. It normalizes the flag at half mast, which seems wrong. It seems to drop to half mast once a month for various reasons.


Thoughts?

*definition of virtue signaling I'm using... no politics: the public and often low-cost expression of moral or social values primarily intended to make the person or organization appear righteous or caring to others

 

[Blackadder1916]

To provide some context to the discussion

Rules for half-masting the National Flag of Canada - Canada.ca

Learn about the special occasions for half-masting the flag and the rules of use for these occasions.

www.canada.ca

II. Discretionary Provisions
14. Employees of the Federal Government
When an employee of a federal department, agency or Crown corporation dies in the line of duty or by reason of the position he or she occupies within that federal department, agency or Crown corporation, the Minister responsible for that organization may decide to Half-mast the Flag. Half-masting in such circumstances can only be carried out on those buildings and establishments affiliated to the organization. The Minister may decide on the geographical extent of the Half-masting and its duration. The decision must be shared immediately with the Manager responsible for the administration of the Rules within the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the Director General responsible for the implementation of the Rules within the Department of Canadian Heritage will in turn inform the Privy Council Office.

III. Discretionary Authority of the Prime Minister
16. Exceptional Circumstances
In exceptional circumstances, and on the advice of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the recommendation of the Clerk of the Privy Council, the Prime Minister may approve the Half-masting of the Flag on the Peace Tower, and/or on all or some federal buildings and establishments in Canada or abroad, that is not provided for in the Rules.

National Flag of Canada half-masting notices - Canada.ca

Find out why the National Flag of Canada is flying at half-mast on Parliament and Government of Canada buildings and establishments.

www.canada.ca

And the most recent notice.

Updated Notice of half-masting: Tragedy at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, in Alberta, on October 17, 2026
Masting period: From October 18, 2026 to sunset on October 26, 2026
Masting location(s): All Government of Canada buildings and establishments across Canada, including the Peace Tower in Ottawa
Additional details:
As per the Rules for Half-masting the National Flag of Canada (Section 16), to mark the tragedy that occurred at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, in Alberta, on October 17, 2026.

 

[daftandbarmy]

So today I noticed that the Canada Flag (ensign) was back to full mast height after it being half masted due the tragedy in Wainwright.

And it started a discussion at work regarding half masting for CAF members who lose their life.

I understand that what follows could be an awkward and/or deeply emotional subject for some here. And maybe its too early. Please try to understand the care in which I'm trying to approach this subject, and only do so because I trust that we'll be learn from the discussion and each other.

A little history here, it wasn't until Afghanistan that the ensign was dropped to half mast for casualties. I'm not sure of the full details but there was a political push to drop the flag on the Peace Tower to half mast every time we lost a life in Afghanistan. Previous to that the ensign was kept flying high and only dropped for the natural ceremonial reasons (Remembrance Day, Death of Monarch/PM etc...).

So my position during the discussion today was that this is a mistake, not because I don't care about casualties and am a heartless jackass, or that we don't need to have some recognition of those who paid the ultimate price but one of a different perspective.

1. If were to lose my life, in uniform doing the business, I did it so that flag would stay flying. High and proud. Dropping the flag for me is kinda the opposite of why I do what I do. It doesn't dip for me, it flies because of my efforts. Don't bring it closer to the ground. Honour me by keeping it flying!

2. If Canada god forbid ends up in a major conflict, then are we going to have it half mast for the entire war? Every day there will be casualties. Perhaps dozens. No, fly the flag to show we are unbowed and unbroken. That grief will not stop us, "failing hands we throw the torch". The flag goes to half mast to remember sacrifices on Remembrance Day and only that day.

3. The push to put the flag at half mast every time there is a casualty strikes me to some extent as political, performative grief, virtue signaling* and perhaps disingenuous. At least some of the time. Possibly because of the political nature of how it came to be.
I understand and accept that this may be a completely different feeling for others. This may be the main way they genuinely express support or grief and is a way to "do something" when the situation is out of their control. Yellow ribbon felt a bit different because it was usually purchased and the money went to charities to support the troops/families. Same with a poppy.

4. It normalizes the flag at half mast, which seems wrong. It seems to drop to half mast once a month for various reasons.


Thoughts?

*definition of virtue signaling I'm using... no politics: the public and often low-cost expression of moral or social values primarily intended to make the person or organization appear righteous or caring to others

OMG - my hobby horse has just left the barn...

I got cancelled by my family members for ranting about the length of time they had the flags lowered re: the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation thing. I think they were down for several months. Madness...

"Here's an idea, let's have two flagpoles and leave one at half mast all the time...".

 

[Ostrozac]

Nationwide half masting is only feasible in peacetime or low intensity conflict. In a world war the flag would be down every day for several years. Even in a conflict on the scale of Korea, the flag would be down every other day.

A lot of Afghanistan-isms aren’t sustainable for conflict at nation state scale. This is one of them. So is repatriation of remains with full ramp ceremonies and convoys down the highway of heroes. Multi-week HLTA isn’t very likely either.

 

[Halifax Tar]

So today I noticed that the Canada Flag (ensign) was back to full mast height after it being half masted due the tragedy in Wainwright.

And it started a discussion at work regarding half masting for CAF members who lose their life.

I understand that what follows could be an awkward and/or deeply emotional subject for some here. And maybe its too early. Please try to understand the care in which I'm trying to approach this subject, and only do so because I trust that we'll be learn from the discussion and each other.

A little history here, it wasn't until Afghanistan that the ensign was dropped to half mast for casualties. I'm not sure of the full details but there was a political push to drop the flag on the Peace Tower to half mast every time we lost a life in Afghanistan. Previous to that the ensign was kept flying high and only dropped for the natural ceremonial reasons (Remembrance Day, Death of Monarch/PM etc...).

So my position during the discussion today was that this is a mistake, not because I don't care about casualties and am a heartless jackass, or that we don't need to have some recognition of those who paid the ultimate price but one of a different perspective.

1. If were to lose my life, in uniform doing the business, I did it so that flag would stay flying. High and proud. Dropping the flag for me is kinda the opposite of why I do what I do. It doesn't dip for me, it flies because of my efforts. Don't bring it closer to the ground. Honour me by keeping it flying!

2. If Canada god forbid ends up in a major conflict, then are we going to have it half mast for the entire war? Every day there will be casualties. Perhaps dozens. No, fly the flag to show we are unbowed and unbroken. That grief will not stop us, "failing hands we throw the torch". The flag goes to half mast to remember sacrifices on Remembrance Day and only that day.

3. The push to put the flag at half mast every time there is a casualty strikes me to some extent as political, performative grief, virtue signaling* and perhaps disingenuous. At least some of the time. Possibly because of the political nature of how it came to be.
I understand and accept that this may be a completely different feeling for others. This may be the main way they genuinely express support or grief and is a way to "do something" when the situation is out of their control. Yellow ribbon felt a bit different because it was usually purchased and the money went to charities to support the troops/families. Same with a poppy.

4. It normalizes the flag at half mast, which seems wrong. It seems to drop to half mast once a month for various reasons.


Thoughts?

*definition of virtue signaling I'm using... no politics: the public and often low-cost expression of moral or social values primarily intended to make the person or organization appear righteous or caring to others

I think this is, in many ways, a consequence of the CAF having been a relatively peace-time force since the Korean War, notwithstanding a number of significant operational commitments along the way.

Casualties are thankfully so rare that, when they do occur, they carry tremendous weight and attract significant public attention.

Your points are valid, and I suspect our views overlap more than they differ. I often think back to the ramp ceremonies I attended during Afghanistan. In a high-intensity conflict, would we realistically be able to maintain that level of ceremony and visibility when Graves Registration sections could be operating around the clock, processing casualties in the hundreds?

When you think about it, Remembrance Day already serves as our national act of collective remembrance and reflection.

In short, I believe our current ceremonies and traditions are meaningful and come from a good place. However, in a true wartime environment, many of these practices could prove cumbersome and impractical. Operational necessity would inevitably take precedence, and some of the ceremonial aspects would likely be reduced or set aside in favour of more efficient processes.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Flags are down a lot these days, depending on what whoever is flying them cares about.

I too would prefer the criteria to be a lot more exceptional. Ditto use of the word "heroes". Canadian society seems to have gradually become more mawkish. A prolonged period of major misfortune would probably be necessary to stiffen people up. I don't want that, so we should probably just accept mawkishness.