'Biggest Canadian flag' unfurled in Vancouver for World Cup, but may breach etiquette
A Metro Vancouver ski resort has unveiled what it says is the largest Canadian flag ever made as it showcases its support for Canada's team in the World Cup.
The flag is spread out on The Cut, a ski run on Grouse Mountain, and is clearly visible from across Burrard Inlet in Vancouver.
Blast Media Print, the B.C. company that made the flag, says it's 160 metres long by 80 metres tall, or about the size of two football fields, and is made of special weather-resistant fabric.
However, the display of the flag appears to breach etiquette set out by the federal government, which dictates that national flags should never touch the ground.
The Maple Leaf should also point to the left when the flag is displayed vertically, not the right as it appears on the Grouse Mountain flag when viewed from Vancouver.
Adam Rootman, senior director of marketing at Grouse Mountain Resort, said on Wednesday that it was his understanding that it was OK for the flag to be displayed on the ground.
"From our perspective, we're just looking to do something really patriotic and an activation that was respectful to the flag and to our country. So, that's what we feel is an important part of the overall installation," said Rootman.
The flag weighs more than 1,500 kilograms and took more than 100 people to stretch over the ski run, said Rootman.
Grouse Mountain said in a statement that certification by Guinness World Records as the largest flag ever displayed on a mountain was imminent.
Rootman, who participated in the installation process on Tuesday, noted that no trees were removed during the installation.
"I felt a lot of pride in Vancouver and in Canada, and we're just excited about supporting the home squad during the World Cup, and hoping that guests who come into the city will come up to Grouse to enjoy our authentic Canadian experiences that we have here," said Rootman.
Grouse Mountain said in a statement that the display was supported by tourism bodies Destination Vancouver and Destination BC.
The first of seven World Cup matches at BC Place in Vancouver will take place on June 13, with Australia facing Turkey. Canada plays Qatar at the stadium on June 18, and Switzerland on June 24.
Guinness World Records lists the largest draped national flag as a flag of Qatar, measuring about 510 metres by 200 metres.
But Canada's flag does have a Guinness record for the smallest national flag ever created, a design of just 0.697 square micrometres — about one hundredth of the width of a human hair — etched onto a silicon wafer by the Institute for Quantum Computing in Waterloo, Ont., in 2016.
The Grouse Mountain flag is more than 18 quadrillion times bigger.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2026.
By Nono Shen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.