Dave van de Laar
Niagara Now/The Lake Report 

On Oct. 3, a quiet delivery landed in Niagara-on-the-Lake: a full-sized Canadian flag that had once flown above Parliament Hill.

The package marked the end of a wait that began thirteen years earlier. In 2012, I emailed the office of then–public works minister Rona Ambrose after hearing that Canadians could request a flag flown on one of Parliament’s buildings.

The wait list was decades long — 23 years for a flag from the East Block or West Block, and 35 years for one from the Peace Tower — but it felt like a gesture worth making.

I asked, then forgot about it.

The flag that finally arrived is 4.5 by nine feet — typical of those flown on Parliament’s perimeter buildings. A letter from the Senate of Canada confirmed it had been raised on the Senate Building’s flagpole Aug. 7 and 8 this year.

Normally, flags remain for a week, but this one flew just two days, likely in the aftermath of a half-masting honouring former Ontario lieutenant-governor Hilary Weston. That detail adds a quiet resonance to its history.

The Senate’s letter included a reminder of what the flag represents: “We hope that this flag will serve as a reminder of our shared values and the importance of democracy, freedom and peace.”

Today, Canadians who apply for a Parliament Hill flag may wait more than 100 years for their turn. That rarity makes this delivery especially meaningful.

As a local photographer who often documents the heritage and beauty of Niagara-on-the-Lake, receiving this flag feels like a full-circle moment.

It is both a national emblem and a personal keepsake — a symbol of patience, pride, and the quiet connections our institutions still forge with citizens.

I plan to preserve it in a shadow box and one day pass it on to my great-niece. It’s a small act, but one I hope will carry weight: a reminder of where we come from and the enduring symbols that unite us across generations.