Flag Raisings and Proclamations

• A Proclamation is an official public announcement or declaration authorized by the Mayor to formally recognize a special event which is deemed to be of interest and/or benefit to the residents of the Municipality.
• All Proclamation Requests must be submitted a minimum of six (6) weeks prior to the first date of recognition, and include the following information:
  • Contact information for the requesting individual or organization.
  • Date or time period of the event or cause (e.g., day, week, month recognition)
  • Clear description of the event or cause, including its significance to the Municipality.
  • Draft sample language of the Proclamation.
• Proclamations do not require Council's approval and do not include a public ceremony or event.
• Approved and signed Proclamations will be posted publicly on the Proclamation Calendar.
• Applicants are responsible for media distribution of the approved Proclamation and for liaising with the Executive Assistant to the CAO/Mayor to confirm the attendance of the Mayor and/or Members of Council if there is a function or event where the Proclamation is to be delivered. 

• In addition to a Proclamation, an organization may request a Community Flag Raising.
• Requests will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Flag Raisings will take place on the Community Flagpole which is the north flagpole located at Town Hall, 56 Queen Street, Port Hope, ON L1A 3Z9.
• The requestor is responsible for providing the appropriate flag to the Municipality a minimum of one (1) week prior to the scheduled Flag Raising.
• All Flag Raising Requests must be submitted a minimum of six (6) weeks prior to the first date of recognition, and include the following information:
  • Contact information for the requesting individual or organization.
  • Preferred date and time of Flag Raising.
  • Requested duration for the Flag to be raised (i.e., one day, week, month)
  • Clear description of the event or cause, including significance to the Municipality.

If a Flag Raising Ceremony is being requested in accordance with Section 7 of the Proclamation and Flag Requests Policy, please refer to the following section (Flag Raising Ceremonies).

A Flag Raising Ceremony is an official, pre-arranged municipal event, in which a flag is hoisted and displayed on the Community Flagpole to commemorate a specific organizational milestone (e.g., 1st, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th milestone).

• Flag Raising Ceremonies are contingent on the availability of Municipal staff resources and will be scheduled Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., excluding holidays. Flag Raising Ceremonies may not be requested for events on the weekend.
• All Flag Raising Ceremony Requests must be submitted a minimum of six (6) weeks prior to the first date of recognition, and include the following information:
  • Contact information for the requesting individual or organization.
  • Preferred date and time of the event (note: the Municipality cannot guarantee that this date or time will be acceptable, as its dependent on availability).
  • Clear description of the event or cause and its significance to the Municipality, including the milestone celebration (i.e., 1st, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th milestone, etc.)
  • Name and contact information of the individual who will provide opening remarks at the Flag Raising Ceremony.
  • A copy of the opening remarks to be provided at the Flag Raising Ceremony by the requesting body.
  • Anticipated number of participants attending the Flag Raising Ceremony.
• Organizations must ensure a minimum level of attendance of at least ten (10) people to justify ceremonial presence. Flag Raising Ceremonies will not be scheduled if representative(s) from the requesting body will not be in attendance.
• The applicant is responsible for liaising with the Executive Assistant to the CAO/Mayor to coordinate Flag Raising Ceremonies, including the confirmation of the Mayor and/or Members of Council at the scheduled ceremony.
• The applicant is responsible for the distribution and management of invitations for all non-Council invitees, including members, guests, and stakeholders.

In accordance with this Policy, the following Proclamation and Flag Raising Requests are grounds for non-approval:

• Individuals, events, organizations or community groups with no demonstrated interest or relationship to the Municipality of Port Hope.
• Political parties or organizations.
• Religious organizations or in celebration of religious events.
• Business or commercial entities or in celebration of corporate events.
• Illegal matters, including matters contrary to the Municipality's policies and by-laws.
• Content that undermines the Municipality's integrity or is discriminatory or inflammatory.
• Requests that are automatically recognized by the Municipality.
• Organizations that, in the same year, have already received approval for a proclamation, flag raising, or any combination for the same event/occasion.