Yahoo Finance What's your job? Robert Labonte, flag master, Parliament Hill
Most Canadians wait until July 1 to celebrate our nation. But to Robert Labonte of Ottawa, Ont. every day is Canada Day.
That’s no exaggeration. Labonte, 32, is known as the “flag master” on Parliament Hill. Since 2010, it’s been part of his job as certified building and environmental systems technician with the federal government to change the Canadian flag that flies atop the Peace Tower every day.
Rain, snow, sleet or blazing sun, he heads up the Peace Tower every morning to ensure nation’s most-visible symbol looks her very best.
Labonte is part of a team of certified workers who are trained to handle the flag and ensure that it flies straight and doesn’t getting caught in the wires. It’s a technical job, that also requires special skill to properly fold and care for the flag after it has been removed.
We recently caught up with Labonte and asked him how he became Canada’s flag master, and what that job title means to him.
You have your own ritual that you do when you go to change the flag.
As you are entering the Peace Tower, at the base there are two lions guarding the entrance. As I go in, I fist pump the lion on the left, that I named William. And on my out, I fist pump the one of the right, that I named Richard. It’s just something that I have done pretty much from the start. It’s my way of showing respect for what the maple leaf stands for, for what Canada stands for and the sacrifices that have been made. It is the Peace Tower. It was there to commemorate the sacrifices of the Great War, or WWI as we call it today.
How were you selected for this particular job? Did you have to apply or was it because you felt so strongly about the symbolism of the flag and the tower itself that you were chosen?
Changing the flag is just one of many things that need to be done. There is actually a team of us who have been trained and shown the proper steps to change the flag. I found out about the job when I started my first day of work on Parliament Hill. I quickly jumped on it and took charge and never relinquished it.
Can you give me a sense of what your day look likes, including the changing of the flag?
First thing in the morning, my team and I go and clean the Centennial Flame. Rain or shine or snow we clean that out. Then there is the Peace Tower flag that needs to be changed every day. The other flags are changed once a week. Then, it is business as usual. We have equipment to maintain. There is always some special event that we are getting ready for.
What do you need to know when it comes to changing the flag?
We are shown how to properly attach it to the cable. Make sure it always flying in the right way and secure the cable up above once we have changed it, and, really, how to fold it. There is a lot of time spent learning how to fold it. You can know the steps to fold a flag, but if you don’t love it, it doesn’t come out just right.
Is it similar to the American flag in that it should never touch the ground?
Absolutely, it should never touch the ground. Never.
Were you always such a patriot?
I have always had a special place in my heart for it. When I was 12 or 13, I had to repaint my room and at that age I got to pick the colours, rather than having my parents do it for me. I actually painted my room red and white and painted on my closet door a giant Canadian flag. I was destined for this job.
Why is the flag on the Peace Tower changed every day?
It’s part of the protocol of the flag. You can’t fly a flag that is torn or ripped in any way. We’ve always changed a flag on a semi-regular basis for that reason.
In 1994, as a gesture of good will, the department began to distribute the flags that flew on Parliament Hill to Canadians who put their names on a list. So, since 1994, changing the flag has become a more regular task. There was a decision made in 1998 to have the frequency of the flag changed to every weekday from weekly.
Once you’ve properly folded it, what happens to the flag then?
Once I have removed the flag, I take care of it. We hang it up to dry if it is wet or wrinkled. Every Monday, we fold the flags and the Minister of Public Works comes and collects them. They are responsible for the flag and its distribution to Canadians.
You have some special memories of the first time you changed the flag. What do you remember about that day?
The first time I changed it, I was with a colleague and he showed me the steps. The very next day I went up by myself. My heart was racing. You are nervous because this is Canada’s symbol. But after I was done, I was in awe and spent a few minutes up there looking around. I couldn’t believe that I was starting a career where I was able to do this.
There have been many times over the years when the flag flew at half-mast. Were those especially intense moments for you?
Any time anything happens to the flag on the Peace Tower we are called in to do that duty, including when it is flying at half-mast. It is always particularly special when some unfortunate circumstances happen. There are soldiers, and recently, the (three) RCMP officers killed on the East Coast. I always take an extra minute up there and have think about why we are putting the flag at half-mast and how people are affected by it.
How long do you see yourself doing this job?
If I can do it to the day I retire I would be happy. I don’t foresee any change in the near future. I love what I am doing and I will continue doing it as long as someone will let me.
