Canadian vet finally gets Peace Tower flag in the mail — 14 years after he ordered it

This week, Stu Rathbone finally received the Canadian flag he ordered from the federal government 14 years ago. 

While that may seem like a long wait, it actually arrived three years ahead of schedule, and much quicker than the current wait time of 100-plus years. 

"I had forgot I applied for it, it's been so long," Rathbone, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran who lives in Ottawa, told As It Happens host Carol Off. 

"It came in a Purolator envelope and ended up on the front door. And I opened it up and saw the flag and just thought, this is amazing. I didn't think it was ever going to happen in my lifetime."

The free flag program

The first time the Canadian flag was hoisted over the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill was Feb. 15, 1965. For years, every weekday, there has been a designated flag master changing the flag. 

In 1994, the government decided to do something about the used flags, which add up to 248 each year. The Minister's Office for Public Works started a program for Canadians to request a Peace Tower flag of their own.

The flags are considered a donation and are provided free of charge. The program simply asks Canadians to fill out an online form.

But the demand for Peace Tower flags outnumbers how many are actually available. In 2018, Public Services and Procurement Canada said 22,650 people were waiting in line. At that time, the department estimated it would take around 114 years to complete.

When Rathbone applied in 2006, he framed the original letter he received from the government about the 17 years he'd have to wait for his flag.

"I thought it was kind of amusing," he said. "I didn't really forget about it ... it was always kind of there."

Then, three years ago, Rathbone was moving into a new home when came upon the framed letter and realized he'd have to update his address on the application. 

"I sent an email, and they replied a couple of days later and just said, 'Oh, by the way, the waiting list has been shortened to 15 years, so you should be getting yours in the next couple of months.'" 

An internal briefing note, obtained by CBC Ottawa in 2019, described the program as "unsustainable."  At the time,  a spokesperson for then-procurement minister Carla Qualtrough said there was no plan to change the program.

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada told As It Happens the department's position has not changed, " but there have been a significant increase in the number of requests since 2017."

The department says it's currently responding to Peace Tower flag requests from 2009.

Parliament Hill is where the decisions of this country are made. I can't think of another more symbolic flag.- Stu Rathbone, Canadian Armed Forces veteran

Ray Bernier from Fisher Branch, Man., told As It Happens that when he signed up for a flag in 2014, he was told he'd have to wait 45 years.

"I was in my mid-60s, so there was a good chance I wouldn't be alive to see it, so I applied for it in my granddaughter's name, who was just born then," he said in a voicemail after hearing  Rathbone's interview on the radio. 

"When she'll be 41, she'll get a Canadian flag from her long deceased grandfather."

A piece of Canadian history

Even though the wait is long, Canadians want a piece of their nation's history to call their own, Rathbone said.  As a veteran, he said the the enormous 2.3-by-4.6-metre Peace Tower flag signifies the greater picture of patriotism.

"It represents every citizen from coast to coast. It belongs to everybody. It represents every citizen who's ever lived or died for our country. It represents the future of every Canadian," he said. 

"I have some close friends I grew up with who served in the Canadian Armed Forces … and it's a bit emotional. They ended up with PTSD. Two of them have committed suicide. Others are still suffering.

"The fact that they died for the flag, it means a lot."

After receiving his flag this week, Rathbone summoned his six children from around the city to take a photo together at Parliament Hill.

"Part of the plan with this flag is my oldest daughter is due in January," he said. "I think to have had that in our household and in our family might be one option of something to do with the flag."

He said he's also kicking around a few other ideas.

"Maybe it's time to do a cross-Canada tour and get pictures with the flag all over the country. I've been in every province except Newfoundland and the territories, so I wouldn't mind doing that," he said. 

"Another option that kind of crossed my mind was I'm pretty involved with a local charity, DIFD, at the Royal Ottawa Hospital that supports youth mental health and thought maybe giving it to them to auction off to raise money."

Written by Mehek Mazhar with files from Sheena Goodyear. Interview with Stu Rathbone produced by Kevin Robertson.