The Franco-Ontarian flag now flies permanently at Sarnia's Seaway Parkette, the Centennial Park flag court at the foot of Lochiel St.
Local dignitaries, over 300 students from the city's french language schools, and other french speaking Sarnians gathered for the flag raising celebration Thursday morning.
"I was told there are only five cities in Ontario that are doing this," said Mayor Mike Bradley. "It is wonderful that we're one of them, but there really should be 500 communities in Ontario that are doing this in years ahead."
Nicole Goldhawk, a third grade teacher at Sarnia's Ecole Les Rapides, described it as a momentous occasion for students.
"Usually there's a celebration in each of the four francophone schools, the two public and the two Catholic," said Goldhawk. "Today all four schools have joined together to watch the flag be raised and celebrate this day."
The flag flew for the first time on September 25, 1975 at Laurentian University in Sudbury.
It became the symbol of the Franco-Ontarian community and was officially recognized in 2001.
Approximately 6,000 francophone people live in Sarnia while 612,000 live in Ontario, Canada’s largest francophone community outside of Quebec.
