Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
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EDMONTON — Alberta’s government has announced new rules on when, how, and what flags can be displayed at schools starting in 2027.
The government said in a news release that the flags of Canada and Alberta must be flown outside schools during the school year.
“Let’s teach our children to celebrate our amazing country and province,” Premier Danielle Smith said in a social media post.
The new rules also permit some other flags — including the Franco-Albertan flag, municipal flags, flags related to sports teams and the Vatican City flag — to be displayed on school grounds.
Others, including First Nations and Metis Settlement flags, foreign national flags and the Royal Union Flag, can only be displayed on specified days or on official occasions.
The government said no other flags can be displayed without permission from the province.
The rules say school boards can apply for exemptions but only for flags that don’t “constitute a political, social or ideological statement.”
Those flags must also meet other conditions, such as reflecting a school’s identity.
Asked whether the government was pre-emptively banning any flags, such as the Pride flag, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in an email that any requests from school boards would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
The rules also apply to websites and social media accounts, but not to individuals or personal items.
Both the Edmonton Public School Board and the Calgary Board of Education said they were reviewing the new rules.
The changes stem from a bill Smith’s government passed last year that seeks to remove “politics and ideology” from classrooms.
Opposition NDP education critic Amanda Chapman said Albertans want action on overcrowded classrooms, not flag policing. “None of the (United Conservative Party’s) culture war nonsense helps a single student or teacher,” Chapman said in a statement.
The new rules begin Jan. 4, 2027. They apply to public, separate, francophone, charter and accredited independent schools.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.
Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
