Wave goodbye: How to properly dispose of a worn Canadian flag
- A Canadian flag should be retired when it becomes tattered, faded, or frayed, with specific disposal methods depending on the material—natural fibre flags are to be burned privately, while synthetic flags should be torn into unrecognizable strips and discarded.
- The "Under the Maple Leaf" program at Beechwood Cemetery collects retired Canadian and provincial flags, treating them with dignity by cremating them in an environmentally responsible manner.
- The program has received strong emotional responses from Canadians who send flags along with personal stories, emphasizing the flag’s role as a symbol of collective Canadian identity and history.
- Flags flying over key Canadian government buildings are regularly replaced, and although Canadians can request flags through a government portal, the current wait time for receiving one exceeds 100 years.
Whatever flag you intend to hoist next, there’s a proper way to dispose of that tired Maple Leaf.
According to guidance on the Department of Canadian Heritage website, a Canadian flag should be taken down and retired when it becomes tattered.
“A flag is considered to be worn when the colour has faded, it has developed a hole or the outermost seam (fly), of the flag has become frayed,” a web page reads.
“Flags made of natural fibres (wool, cotton, linen), should be burned in a dignified manner, privately, without ceremony or public attention being drawn to the destruction of the material.”
Flags made from synthetic material, however, should not be burned and rather be torn into strips, with each element of the flag reduced to a single colour, such that the remaining pieces do not resemble a flag.
“The individual pieces should then be placed in a bag for disposal — the shreds of fabric should not be reused or fashioned into anything,” Canadian Heritage advises.
No national signet lasts forever, but fortunately there’s a place to send one when its watch has ended.
Under the Maple Leaf is a program run by Beechwood Cemetery, the National Cemetery of Canada. For the last two years, it has welcomed deliveries of retired Canadian and provincial flags that had flown over family homes, schools, businesses, municipal buildings, military bases, Legions, places of worship, community organizations, and special events.
“We were deeply moved by the response from Canadians during the first year of this program,” said Nicolas McCarthy of Beechwood. “People didn’t simply send us flags. They shared memories. They shared family histories. They shared stories of service, belonging, and pride. Those stories reminded us that the Maple Leaf is much more than a symbol. It is part of our collective Canadian story.”
Per that guidance from Heritage, the flags are cremated.
“Each flag received is treated with care and retired using Beechwood’s modern cremation facilities in a manner that upholds the dignity of the symbol while respecting environmental best practices,” according to a release.
Fun fact: the flag flying over the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa is usually changed every weekday, while the flags on the East and West blocks are swapped weekly. All flags are changed when they have been flown at half mast.
Canadians can request these flags, which are a ways from their retirement age, through a portal on a Public Services and Procurement website.
You may be beyond your own retirement date by the time it arrives, though, as the current waiting period “exceeds 100 years.”