Having turned down a request to fly the Vatican flag at City Hall to commemorate Pope John Paul II Day, the City of Toronto has sown more confusion surrounding its religious imagery policy.

A closer look at the landscape of City Hall will show that religious, spiritual and cultural themes are commonplace, so long as they are not raised to the sky or attached to a pole.

A recent decision from the city resulted in the annual Pope John Paul II Day event moving from downtown Toronto to Mississauga, Ont., as the Vatican flag does not meet the flag-raising program’s criteria. The City of Toronto no longer approves flag-raising requests to mark religious events, organizers were told.

Yet during the celebration of Ramadan, a sign was prominent in Nathan Phillips Square to mark the Islamic religious observance. The large structure sits beside the permanent stage set up on the west side of Nathan Phillips Square and reads “Ramadan Mubarak” in large letters. 

For many, like Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, all they want is clarity on the policy. Korwin-Kuczynski, a former city councillor, was responsible for the inaugural Pope John Paul II Day flag raising back in 2006 and has remained heavily involved in celebrations marking the sainted pope. 

“ I think that this clearly deserves a continuation in looking into the reasoning behind this for some clarity,” he said. “This isn’t about attacking, but trying to get the truth and in the end, I hope that the City of Toronto is able to review this because there seems to be some serious confusion here.” 

When asked about the display, the City of Toronto in a written response to The Catholic Register said temporary signage at Nathan Phillips Square is permitted when associated with an event that has received an approved permit. In this case, the Ramadan sign coincides with a city-approved Eid al-Fitr event March 30 (which was eventually cancelled due to inclement weather), though it was erected long before the event.

The letter explained organizers “must submit proposed event elements, including signage and programming, to the City of Toronto for review." Event organizers are also required to provide three potential date options and a detailed site map illustrating the proposed use of space.  

While this partially explains the Ramadan signage, despite its religious connotations arguably more prominent than that of the Vatican flag, others point to the opening of a permanent Indigenous spirit garden in the southwest corner of the square last September, as requested by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action 82. This was a direct call for governments to install a residential school monument in each capital city.

The city's website says the "20,650-square-foot garden serves as a space for contemplation, gatherings and spiritual ceremonies, open to all people seeking connection and understanding." 

Nathan Phillips Square is also set to host this year’s Christian Music Festival, an annual event that brought close to 25,000 attendees last year to the front door of City Hall to enjoy various Christian-based musical acts. 

Regardless of denomination, religion or spiritual practice, it’s evident that multiple instances of religious signage and imagery have and will continue to turn up in the area of City Hall. The question becomes, if secondary imagery is allowed, so long as approved for events, why is the line drawn at flags being flown?

One possibility lies in the wake of considerable controversy following City Hall’s decision to fly the Israeli flag last May in recognition of the country's independence day. Coming as it did at the height of the Israel-Hamas war, the flag raising, which was not attended by Mayor Olivia Chow, was met with pro-Palestine protests. Chow eventually denounced the event as divisive. 

As Korwin-Kuczynski and company celebrated St. John Paul II Day at the Polish Cultural Centre in Mississauga March 30, as opposed to downtown Toronto for the first time in two decades, he noted that his first order of business post-festivities is digging for further answers.

“This is going to be a fight that I believe we have a right to win. We just need to concentrate, and I hope to fight on the side of all religions, to let everyone have a right to see their beliefs expressed openly, freely and in totality,” he said, hoping to restore flag-raising policies to their former guidelines. 

He also urged Torontonians to get in contact with city councillors and voice their displeasure with such discrepancies in both flag raisings and overall religious expression at one of the city's busiest gathering spots. 

The Catholic Register sought input from current councillors, reaching out to Brad Bradford and James Pasternak for comment on the inconsistencies. Bradford was unable to take an interview, and no response was provided by Pasternak.