Veterans, police officers, cadets, and community members joined one another at the Grande Prairie Cemetery to honour Canadian flags as they entered their final resting place.
More than 170 flags were buried during the 2025 edition of the Oliver’s Funeral Home flag retirement ceremony.
Dean Langton, President of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 54 in Grande Prairie, says the event is something he looks forward to every year, and he was proud to see so much support, despite the chilly weather.
“The event is wonderful, Oliver’s does a fantastic job with this, joined by the RCMP, fellow legionnaires, the City with the bus, transporting people to and from, it’s actually a really good function, very respectful,” he says.
Langton, and other officials, agree the ceremony is all about respect. He says so many Canadians have laid down their lives for the flag, so when the flags serve their time, it is only right to give them a proper send-off.
“It comes right down to being respectful of the flag, we served, a lot of us served, and that is what we signed up for, to protect Canada to protect our flag, so when a flag becomes disused, it’s nice to get the word out,” he says. “You should be respectful because the flags deserve a final resting spot.”
Grande Prairie’s cadets also made their usual appearance, tasked with transporting the bundle of flags from the hearse to their place of rest, and Langton says he is proud the next generation of Canadians are keeping the tradition alive.
“The cadets are absolutely amazing, all three elements, army, air, and sea cadets, very respectful, and this is part of the teaching, to do community service, to help people, to not just think of self, and they’re doing fantastic,” he says.
The ceremony concluded with the playing of the national anthem, followed by a brunch for attendees back at Oliver’s.
