The Ceremony of the Flags

The distinctly Canadian Ceremony of the Flags was originally created and performed by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1967 to celebrate Canada's centennial.  The Canadian flag and the flags of each province and territory are paraded together in a celebration of nationhood.

The ceremony is performed by cadets from Sea Cadet Summer Training Centre, HMCS Quadra and combines elements of the ancient ceremonies of Tattoo, Sunset Ceremony and Retreat.

The parade opens with a fanfare by the band and the entire contingent marches onto the parade area.  Once the band is in position, it steps off to perform the Trooping of the Band.   The band slow marches across the front of the parade area and retires to its original position.  The Drum Major then brings the drummers forward to play the “Drummer’s Call,”    the tattoo portion of the ceremony.

Historically, the walled city’s or fort's gates were left open until mid-evening.  The drummers from the garrison, camped outside the wall, would march through the streets to recall the troops and to signal the innkeepers to close their taps.   An old Dutch expression for this closure was “doe den tap toe" which, it is believed, was shortened to “tap toe” by the British and eventually became “tattoo."  Upon completion of the "Drummer’s Call," the drum line returns to the band and the trumpeters are marched to the forefront to play the “Last Post."

Following the “Last Post," the guard moves from the rear of the parade to the front and escorts the colours (flags) forward.   During the advance, the guard splits in two, advances forward and fixes bayonets on the march.   The movement is complete when the left and right guards and colour party reform in front of the parade.  The guard fires three volleys, clearing the weapons and ensuring they are functional.

The “Trooping of the Colour” is then performed with the Colour Party marching through the guards while the field gun crews fire a 21-gun salute to the national flag.  When the colour party has returned to position, the sunset ceremony begins.

The sunset ceremony begins with the band playing the orchestrated sunset during which the guard reverses arms and rests.   "O Canada" and "God Save the Queen" are played during the lowering of the flag.   The ceremony ends with the parade marching past the reviewing officer in slow and quick time.

The 50-member HMCS QUADRA senior band is comprised of 15 to 18-year old musicians drawn from sea cadet corps across Canada.  The guard is comprised of a boatswain (Bos'n) trade group 3 cadets, shipwrights, staff cadets, and occasionally gunnery trade group 3 cadets.  Most are 15 to 18 years of age.  The colour party consists of 13 gunnery trade group 3 cadets. There are 2 Colour Party sentries who protect the Colour Party (age range 16-18.) The two gun crews consist of a firing party and a drag rope team. The firing party includes gunnery trade group 3 cadets (6 on each gun) and the drag rope team includes gunnery trade group 2 cadets (age range 14-16.) The gun crews are commanded by Gun Captains. In Victoria, the captains are the Chief of Gunnery and the Chief of Adventure Training.

The only adult supervisors on parade are the Guard Commander, Guard Officer, Music Director, and two colour officers for the Canadian flag and the sea cadet banner: the remainder are cadets.