The Flag of Fort Erie, Ontario

Flag of Fort Erie, Ontario

The Last Place American Troops Stood on Canadian Soil

That's a pretty remarkable thing to have on your municipal resume, and Fort Erie wears it well. Sitting at the southern tip of the Niagara River where it meets Lake Erie — directly across from Buffalo, New York — this town has been strategically important since the French built a stockade here in 1750. The British took it over, rebuilt it, and then watched it get captured by American forces during the War of 1812. The siege and eventual American withdrawal from Fort Erie in 1814 marks the last time foreign troops occupied Canadian soil. Not bad for a town most people drive through on the way to the Peace Bridge.

About the Flag

Fort Erie's municipal flag reflects that layered identity — a community with deep Loyalist roots that has also become one of Niagara's fastest-growing residential towns. The Town runs a formal flag promotion program through its website, which tells you something about how seriously it takes the flag as an official civic symbol. It flies at Town Hall at 1 Municipal Drive, alongside the National Flag of Canada and the Ontario flag, as is standard for Ontario municipalities.

When the Flag Really Shows Up

The best time to see Fort Erie's flag in full civic ceremony is probably during the annual Friendship Festival — a joint celebration with Buffalo that leans into the towns' shared border and the peace that's defined the relationship for over 200 years. There are also annual War of 1812 re-enactments at Old Fort Erie, managed by the Niagara Parks Commission, where the ceremonial context gives the municipal flag a bit more weight than usual. Remembrance Day ceremonies round out the major occasions.

Flying This Flag

Lake Erie exposure is real in Fort Erie — the wind off the lake can be punishing, especially at waterfront and open-site installations. Heavy-duty aluminum or fibreglass poles with internal halyards (so the rope doesn't freeze or fray) are the standard choice for this kind of climate. Two-ply knitted polyester holds up well, with reinforced fly ends and brass grommets as the minimum spec for anything flying year-round outdoors.