Buying a flag in Canada: price, size and quality
Published Written by Flagpole Guides
The price of a flag in Canada ranges widely, from small printed flags for a parade to large sewn flags for a 15-metre pole. This guide does not list prices, which change with suppliers and time, but it explains what affects the price, which standards apply to the Canadian flag, how sales taxes are added and which consumer rights apply.
What affects the price of a flag
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Size | A 4½ × 9 ft flag has two and a quarter times the area of a 3 × 6 ft flag |
| Fabric | Nylon and polyester flags differ in weight, drying and resistance to wind |
| Sewn or printed | A sewn flag with a separate white square and leaf takes more work than a printed one |
| Finish | Reinforced fly ends, extra rows of stitching and brass grommets add to the cost |
| Intended use | Flags for outdoor, indoor or one-event use are made to different standards |
| Standard and mark | A flag made to the CGSB standard carries a mark showing it |
| Quantity and supplier | Flags bought in quantity, for instance by schools and municipalities, cost less per flag |
The size is the main factor. Canadian Heritage matches flag sizes to pole lengths, from 0.90 × 1.80 m on a 5.10 to 6-metre pole to 2.30 × 4.60 m on a 15-metre pole; the guide to flag sizes has the table, and the flag size calculator finds the row for a given pole.
Standards: the CGSB mark
Canada has national standards for its flag. Under the National Flag of Canada Manufacturing Standards Act, the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) maintains standards for flags according to their use, and federal departments may only buy flags made to them. Three National Standards of Canada apply:
- CAN/CGSB-98.1, National Flag of Canada (outdoor use)
- CAN/CGSB-98.2, National Flag of Canada (indoor use)
- CAN/CGSB-98.3, National Flag of Canada (one-event only use)
According to Canadian Heritage, the standards cover design, colour, material and performance requirements, including grommets, fabric, construction and stitching, and they can be downloaded free of charge from the CGSB catalogue. Flags made to them, whether made in Canada or imported, bear a mark showing that they meet the standard. For private buyers the standard is not required, but it is a way to compare quality.
For the flag of Québec, a standard of the Bureau de normalisation du Québec sets the requirements for dimensions, quality and manufacture, and the Gouvernement du Québec reminds buyers that the legal format is 2:3.
Price and lifespan
A cheaper flag is not always cheaper in the long run. The Gouvernement du Québec’s guidance for public buildings counts on a lifespan of three to six months for an institutional outdoor flag, and on Parliament Hill the flag on the Peace Tower is changed every working day. A flag flown day and night in all weathers wears faster than one raised on special days. When a flag has faded, developed a hole or frayed at the fly, Canadian Heritage considers it worn; how worn flags are disposed of is described in the guide to flagpole maintenance.
Sales taxes on the price
Prices in Canada are usually shown before tax, and the tax depends on the province where the flag is delivered. According to the Canada Revenue Agency:
| Province or territory | Tax on a flag |
|---|---|
| Ontario | 13 % HST |
| Nova Scotia | 14 % HST |
| New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island | 15 % HST |
| Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon | 5 % GST |
| British Columbia | 5 % GST + 7 % PST |
| Manitoba | 5 % GST + 7 % PST |
| Saskatchewan | 5 % GST + 6 % PST |
| Québec | 5 % GST + 9.975 % QST |
Consumer rights
Consumer protection in Canada is provincial.
- In Québec, the Office de la protection du consommateur describes the legal warranties that apply automatically and free of charge: the product serves the purpose for which it was bought, has a reasonable lifetime given the price paid, the contract and the conditions of use, has no hidden defects and matches its description and advertising. If it does not, the merchant repairs, exchanges or refunds it.
- In Ontario, the Consumer Protection Act makes it illegal to give false information about a product, for instance its grade or quality; a contract based on misrepresentation can be cancelled within one year. When goods are not delivered within 30 days of the promised date, the buyer can ask for a refund.
The other provinces and territories have their own consumer protection laws.
Free flags
Canadian residents can ask Public Services and Procurement Canada for a flag that has flown on Parliament Hill, free of charge and one per person and household. According to the department, the wait time is now more than 100 years. Canadian Heritage also offers free promotional material about the flag for special occasions. The choice of flagpole is covered in the guide to buying a flagpole.
Frequently asked questions
What affects the price of a flag in Canada?
Mainly the size, the fabric, whether the design is sewn or printed, the finish at the hoist and the fly, and whether the flag is made for outdoor, indoor or one-event use. Sales taxes are added and differ by province. A flag of the same size can therefore vary a good deal in price.
Is there a standard for Canadian flags?
Yes. The Canadian General Standards Board maintains three National Standards of Canada for the National Flag: outdoor use (CAN/CGSB-98.1), indoor use (CAN/CGSB-98.2) and one-event use (CAN/CGSB-98.3). They cover design, colour, material and performance, including grommets, fabric, construction and stitching, and can be downloaded free of charge.
How much sales tax is added to the price of a flag?
It depends on the province. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, the rate is 13 % HST in Ontario, 14 % in Nova Scotia and 15 % in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island; 5 % GST in Alberta and the territories; and 5 % GST plus provincial sales tax in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Québec.
Can I get a flag that has flown on Parliament Hill?
Canadian residents can request one from Public Services and Procurement Canada at no charge, one per person and household. According to the department, the wait time is now more than 100 years.
What are my rights if a flag wears out too quickly?
In Québec, the Consumer Protection Act gives a legal warranty that a product will serve normal use for a reasonable lifetime, given its price, the contract and the conditions of use. In Ontario, the Consumer Protection Act protects against misrepresentation, for example about a product’s quality. A flag flown outdoors does wear over time, so how long it lasts also depends on the weather and the hours it flies.
Sources
This guide is based on the following sources:
- Description of the National Flag of Canada – Colour specifications – Canadian Heritage
- National Flag of Canada Manufacturing Standards Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. N-9) – Justice Laws Website
- GST/HST calculator (and rates) – Canada Revenue Agency
- Parliament Hill flags – Public Services and Procurement Canada
- Warranties provided by the law – Office de la protection du consommateur
- Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act – Government of Ontario
- Format légal et dimensions courantes – Gouvernement du Québec
- Disposal of the National Flag of Canada – Canadian Heritage
Related guides
- Flag sizesWhich flag suits which flagpole in Canada: the federal table of flag and pole sizes, the 2:1 Canadian flag, Québec’s 1:7 rule and sizes in feet.
- Flag size calculatorFor a flagpole length in metres, the calculator shows the flag size in Canadian Heritage’s table and the size of a flag of Québec by the 1:7 guideline.
- Flag typesThe flags of Canada: the maple leaf flag, the ten provincial and three territorial flags with years and proportions, royal and historical flags.
- The Canadian flagWhat the maple leaf flag means, how it was chosen in the Great Flag Debate of 1964, why the leaf has 11 points, and the flag’s colours and proportions.
- Buying a flagpoleWhat affects the price of a flagpole in Canada: height, material, halyard, footing and installation, permits, sales taxes and consumer rights.
- Flag flying rulesCanadian flag etiquette: who may fly the flag, day and night, on a flagpole, from a building or vertically, and how the flag’s dignity is kept.