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If city clerk Jim Nicol had his way, changes to the current Flag Protocol Procedure would be dealt with as soon as possible.
“The only guarantee in this is that I can’t make anyone happy right now,” he said. “It’s tough, and if we could wave a wand, we would have had that policy discussed and approved by council back in September.”
Nicol’s comments came before the City of Regina sent an email abruptly cancelling a flag raising ceremony marking Palestine’s Independence Day in the city hall courtyard on Friday at 10 a.m.
“At the direction of Mayor Sandra Masters, the flag raising and ceremony for Palestine that had been planned for tomorrow, Friday November 15, will not proceed,” read the statement, that arrived around 3:45 p.m. on Thursday.
At the direction of Mayor Sandra Masters, the flag raising and ceremony for Palestine that had been planned for tomorrow, Friday November 15, will not proceed.
— City of Regina (@CityofRegina) November 14, 2024
Masters remains mayor until mayor-elect Chad Bachynski is sworn in on Monday Nov. 18.
980 CJME have reached out to the City of Regina and the mayor’s office for comment on why the flag raising was cancelled.
980 CJME have reached out to organizers of the flag raising ceremony for comment.
A petition has been started to get the flag raising ceremony reinstated. As of 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, it had over 400 signatures.
“This is something that, unfortunately, is distracting from the work of the city,” Nicol said before the cancellation.
When asked about the Palestinian flag raising on the Evan Bray Show on Thursday morning, mayor elect Chad Bachynski said this was new information to him.
“I’m going to take some time and understand,” he said. “I think that’s the best thing I can do right now.”
Before the ceremony was cancelled
Earlier on Thursday, Nicol was taking questions about the final results for the municipal election, when he was asked about city hall’s current flag raising policies.
In May, Nicol said an Israeli flag was hoisted at city hall, raising concerns and criticism from councillors.
Councillors then put forward a motion to change the current Flag Protocol Procedure. Nicol prepared the report to go across councils desk in September.
The report was tabled twice by the previous council, and hasn’t been resolved.
Nicol recommended that the six flags in front of city hall in the courtyard – Canada, Saskatchewan, Regina, Treaty Four, Métis, and the Union Jack – be the only flags flown on a permanent basis.
He also recommended that the ceremonial flag pole be used to promote charitable and non-profit organizations, pointing to examples like the Girl Guides of Canada or the Canadian Red Cross.
The recommendation would also allow the Queen City Pride flag to fly in June.
An exception could be made if an accredited ambassador is coming to city hall, Nicol said, to fly that country’s flag out of respect.
Flags have been raised in support of countries affected by war at city hall before, like on the two-year anniversary of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
“I was asked on the floor by a councillor what would happen if citizens of Russian ancestry in Regina requested a flag be flown? Well, according to the policy, it would be,” Nicol said.
He said outstanding motions from outgoing councillors could be put in front of the new council for debate if they are interested.
“Every time a flag is raised, there is someone out there who doesn’t like it, or doesn’t like what it stands for etcetera, etcetera,” Nicol said. “We’re trying to find that consistent, constant balance and respect for all groups.”