A Canadian veteran from Barrie is spearheading a grassroots effort to establish a new national symbol: a unified flag representing all Canadian military veterans, regardless of branch, rank, or years of service.
Retired pilot Kent Smerdon designed the proposed Canadian Military Veterans Unity Flag with the help of family members and guidance from heraldic experts. The idea, he explained, came to him unexpectedly.
After waking in the middle of the night, “for reasons I do not know”, his thoughts drifted back to his years in the Air Force. Flags and banners, he said, were always part of military life. But one question stuck with him: Why doesn’t Canada have a single emblem that any veteran can display year‑round?
He searched online the next morning and was surprised to find no such symbol existed.
“So I thought, well, why don’t we have one? Why can't we have one?” he told Barrie 360's What Barrie's Talking About podcast. “Why don't we have one emblem that a veteran could wear on his lapel…that says to the onlooker, he or she served the country in uniform?”
A Simple, Striking Design Meant for All Veterans
The flag’s design is intentionally clean and symbolic. The large “V” at its centre, he noted, was important for clarity, recognition, and bilingual meaning. “They said what a herald is looking for in a flag design…is simplicity and clarity,” he explained. “And I think this flag delivers simplicity, clarity, and an unmistakable…V…that stands for the veteran in both official languages as well.”
The flag has already received strong emotional support. When he first unveiled it at a local veteran event last December, he received a standing ovation. Some attendees - many widows of late veterans - were visibly moved.
“They were kind of saying, why hasn't this happened before? Why haven't we done this sooner?” he said.
A Push for National Recognition
While enthusiasm is strong, the road ahead is long. For the flag to become a formal national symbol, it must be enshrined in law - and that means passing through Parliament.
According to guidance he’s received, the path goes through the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Listen below to our full interview with Smerdon. It begins at the 12:11 mark.
Smerdon laughs when asked if he’s confident about navigating government bureaucracy. “When it comes to the government, I don't know whether I should answer that,” he said. “I'm going to give it a good shot.”
The next step is to secure support from the country’s largest veteran organizations, including the Royal Canadian Legion, the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the Royal Canadian Air Force Association, among others. Together, these groups represent hundreds of thousands of Canadians with military service.
Just one letter from a major veterans association, he said, could carry enormous weight.
A Symbol for All Who Served—Not Just Career Soldiers
One of the strongest motivations behind the effort is ensuring recognition for veterans who served fewer than 12 years. Currently, those who leave earlier do not receive a service medal, even if they served with distinction.
“They may have served with great duty and honour and pride and diligence,” he said. “But…they have nothing to show for it except the certificate of service.”
He hopes the new flag—and related nonprofit merchandise sold through military kit shops—will give all veterans, regardless of time served, a tangible symbol of pride and belonging.
How Canadians Can Support the Initiative
With more than 460,000 veterans living in Canada, public support could play a crucial role, especially from military communities such as Barrie, Simcoe County, and the region surrounding Base Borden.
Community members - veterans and civilians alike - can show support, ask questions, or share ideas by contacting CanVetFlag@gmail.com
Future steps may include petitions, public surveys, or broader outreach; however, gathering written support is currently the key priority.
As he puts it, “One letter speaks for what? Ten, twenty people…They know that ten people feel the same way.”
