The Franco-Ontarian flag is flying in Newmarket in celebration of the local Francophone community.
A flag-raising ceremony was held on Saturday, Sept. 25, which has been celebrated as on Franco-Ontarian Day since 2010.
Mayor John Taylor spoke to the importance of inclusion and the large Francophone community in Newmarket who contribute to the town’s vibrancy, according to Patricia Montgomery-Rundle, the event's organizer.
Rémi Nolet, president of Association Francophone Region de York, also spoke at the ceremony.
He addressed the importance of inclusion and recognizing the contributions of the French community in York Region and expressed hope that one day there would be a French elementary school in Newmarket.
The Franco-Ontarian flag features a green panel with a white lily that represents the French community worldwide and a white panel with a green trillium, which is the provincial flower of Ontario.
The flag was first flown at the University of Sudbury on Sept. 25, 1975.
This is Newmarket's fifth anniversary of celebrating Franco-Ontarian Day.
Newmarket Public Library, Newmarket Historical Society, Newmarket Parks, and the Town of Newmarket partnered for the day. The Newmarket Farmers Market also joined in the celebration with flags on vendor stalls, Montgomery said.
The lights at Riverwalk Commons and Fred A. Lundy Bridge were also illuminated in green the night before to commemorate the day.
