City of Ottawa celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag with an official flag-raising ceremony

To celebrate Franco-Ontarian Day, as well as to honour, recognize, and celebrate the countless contributions made by francophones across the country, the City of Ottawa will raise the Franco-Ontarian flag during an official flag-raising ceremony on Thursday, September 25 at 8:30 am in front of the Heritage Building at City Hall. Madeleine Meilleur will be the emcee. 

Illuminations in green and white are also planned for the OTTAWA sign in the ByWard Market.  

Francophones across Ottawa will be celebrating this golden milestone in a myriad of exciting events across the city. For example, the City will join Association des communautés francophones d'Ottawa (ACFO) and other key Francophone partners, at an evening community gathering taking place at TD Place from 6 to 8:30 pm called “Le Cinq-Zéro.” Everyone is invited to join the Francophone community, hand in hand, in celebration not only of the Franco-Ontarian flag, but also Franco-Ontarian culture, heritage and identity.  

The flag was created in 1975 by Gaétan Gervais, history professor at the University of Sudbury and Michel Dupuis, first-year political science student. It was officially recognized as the emblem of the Franco-Ontarian community in the Franco-Ontarian Emblem Act of 2001.