PM discussing raising flags ahead of Remembrance Day with Indigenous people

OTTAWA -

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is talking to Indigenous communities across the country about potentially temporarily raising the Canadian flags on federal buildings and on the Peace Tower in Ottawa, in order to lower them again for Remembrance Day.

“We continue to work very closely with partners, with Indigenous peoples, with communities across the country. There is an understanding of how important it is to be able to lower the flags on Remembrance Day to mark our veterans, to mark people, including Indigenous peoples, who've stepped up to fight for Canadian values and paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Trudeau told reporters during a press conference from the COP26 Summit in Glasgow on Tuesday.

“I'm confident that the conversations with Indigenous leadership on making sure we are able to lower the flags once again on Nov. 11 will come at the right solution,” Trudeau said.

On Monday, Minister of Veterans Affairs Lawrence MacAulay’s office told CTVNews.ca in an email that “discussions” were “underway” between Canadian officials and Indigenous communities.

The flags at federal buildings and on the Peace Tower were lowered to half-mast in late May on Trudeau’s request, after ground-penetrating radar located what is believed to be the remains of 215 children in unmarked graves at a former residential school site in Kamloops, B.C.

In the months that have followed, discoveries of unmarked graves at other former residential school sites have continued. The government's position has been that until further notice, the would remain at half-mast in honour of the victims and survivors of the Canadian residential school system.

It is possible for multiple half-masting notices to be in effect at one time without requiring the flags to be raised in order to be lowered again.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is calling for the flags on federal buildings to be raised, after campaigning on a promise to do so during the 2021 election campaign.

“Lowering the flag to recognize our tragic history of residential schools was the right thing to do. As we approach Remembrance Week, we need to raise our flag so we can honour our veterans and remember the sacrifices of those who fought for our freedoms,” O’Toole tweeted on Tuesday.

As The Canadian Press has reported, The Royal Canadian Legion has said it will raise the flag at the National War Memorial in Ottawa before the Remembrance Day ceremony, and then lower it again.