Flag etiquette

The University of Manitoba lowers the Canadian Flag atop the Administration Building in the event of the death of members of the university community and under other circumstances in accordance with university policy and protocols established by the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba.

Flag policy and procedure

The Flag Etiquette Policy and Procedure were approved by the Board of Governors on January 27, 2015. Together, these documents outline the circumstances under which the university will lower the Canadian Flag to half-mast as a symbol of mourning and the procedures followed during such an event.

Flag Etiquette Policy (PDF)   Flag Etiquette Procedure (PDF)

All UM policies and procedures are available in alternate formats, upon request. Please contact Laura Orsak-Williams at Laura.Orsak@umanitoba.ca.

Administration Building from the quad in the winter

Flag notifications

In the event that the flag is lowered to half-mast, a notification is posted online via UM Today and inside the Administration Building at 66 Chancellors Circle.

Review in memoriam flag notifications      

Requests to lower the flag

All requests to have the university lower the flag to half-mast are directed to the Office of the President for consideration. When the President's Office is notified of a death in the community or receives a request to lower the Canadian Flag, the flag it will be flown at half-mast in observance of the following circumstances:

The death of a member of the university community

  • Registered students
  • Current members of the Board of Governors or Senate
  • Current or former Chairs of the Board or Governors, Presidents, or Chancellors
  • Current members of faculty or staff
  • Professors Emeriti
  • Retirees
  • Recipients of UM honorary degrees
  • Any other individual(s) as deemed appropriate by the President

The death of a member of the Canadian Government

  • Prime Minister
  • Chief Justice of Canada
  • Premier of Manitoba
  • Sovereign
  • Governor General
  • Manitoba Lieutenant Governor
  • Any other individual(s) as deemed appropriate by the President

Days of commemoration

  • Day of Mourning for Persons Killed or Injured in the Workplace (April 28)
  • National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People (May 5)
  • National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism (June 23)
  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30)
  • Remembrance Day (November 11)
  • National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6)
  • Any other day(s) as deemed appropriate by the President.

In exceptional circumstances as deemed appropriate by the President

In exceptional circumstances the Canadian Flag may be flown at half-mast to mourn the lives lost in tragic national or international events. In such cases, the practices of the university will mirror the practice of the Province of Manitoba.

Submit a request to lower the flag

Contact information

Please provide your contact information to ensure we are able to follow up with your request.

Request information

Please indicate the type of request you are submitting.
 

Honouree's information

Please select the appropriate group the honouree is a member of in order to notify additional units within the university community, if necessary. If the honouree is a member of more than one of the listed groups, please select the most pertinent.
Title of the deceased
Please note, in accordance with the our policy, the flag will be lowered on the date of the individual's memorial service. If the date of the memorial service is unknown or a service will not take place, please select a date within 10 days of the individual's passing.

Special day or event information

Please indicate the special day, event, or day of remembrance and/or mourning to be observed.
Please indicate the date the flag should be lowered. Requests should be made at least three (3) business days in advance.

Additional information

If you have additional requests or concerns regarding flag etiquette or require any of the above information in a different format, including the request form, please contact Kelsey Evans at Kelsey.Evans@umanitoba.ca or 204-430-1846.