Franco-Ontarian Flag Flies Permanently at the Centennial Arena and Community Centre Parkland

In celebration of St-Jean-Baptiste Day, a permanent Franco-Ontarian flag was raised this morning at the Centennial Arena and Community Centre Parkland in Hanmer.

Over the last 20 years, the flag has been permanently raised at various locations across the city, including Tom Davies Square, Centre de santé communautaire, Pioneer Manor, and the office of Le Voyageur in recognition of the strong francophone presence across the community.

“As a proud member of the Franco-Ontarian community, it is meaningful to see the permanent installation of the flag at this municipal site,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre. “The flag is a symbol of language and culture; it is a visual celebration of the historical and contemporary contributions of our Franco-Ontarian residents.”

The annual flag raising, co-hosted with the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (ACFO) du grand Sudbury, is an opportunity to celebrate Greater Sudbury’s strong Franco-Ontarian roots and renew the City’s commitment to enrich francophone culture in the community.

“I’m thrilled that we were able to gather again this year to raise another permanent Franco-Ontarian flag in Greater Sudbury,” said Joanne Gervais, executive director, Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario du grand Sudbury. “I am honoured to continue this tradition, and to have the opportunity to celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions of francophones in our community.”

The event was streamed live on Facebook.

The Franco-Ontarian flag has important significance to Greater Sudbury, as it was originally created by Gaétan Gervais, Michel Dupuis and a group of students at Laurentian University. The flag was first raised at the University of Sudbury and was officially recognized as the emblem of the Franco-Ontarian community in 2001. In 2020, it became an official emblem of Ontario.