Stoney Creek councillor David Mitchell asked that question recently to a few city employees, and discovered they didn’t know.

His experience proved his point that Hamilton should replace its eight-year-old flag.

“(The flag) makes me puke,” said Mr. Mitchell, as he expressed a ribald opinion about the flag during a governance committee meeting to a number of his colleagues.

“Nobody knows it is Hamilton’s flag,” he said, showing the flag to staff, politicians and a couple of people sitting in the gallery. “It’s pathetic looking.”

He said the golden yellow circle of chains surrounding the Cinquefoil on a blue background looks more like a “communist” symbol and makes no impression on people compared to other flags. The links have two meanings. One is a standard heraldic symbol of unity, with the larger links representing the six former municipalities. The links also represent Hamilton’s steel industry.

“It needs to be fixed,” he added. “Nobody has the guts to say it. But it needs to be said.”

The blue and yellow golden flag, which was approved by council in 2001, along with it’s a new coat of arms and triple H city symbol, was created by Bishop Ralph Spence, a leading specialist in the science of flags. The Cinquefoil in the centre of the flag is a heraldic flower of five petals that is the badge of the Clan Hamilton.

Mr. Mitchell, who was a member of the post-amalgamation council, voted along with other politicians for the flag, and the new coat of arms in the aftermath of amalgamation. The triple H symbol was created by a local marketing company.

The logo has become incorporated onto all city documentation.

He said instead of the current flag, the city’s triple H, dark blue symbol should be incorporated into a new flag. The three H’s, which represent the city’s bridges – including the High Level Bridge -and symbolizes unity and partnership, is a “beautiful” sign not what we have now, he said.

The six pillars symbolize the city’s six former municipalities. Other councillors, while laughing at Mr. Mitchell’s demonstration, reluctantly agreed with his opinion about the flag.

“I’ve never had an attachment to the flag,” said Stoney Creek councillor Maria Pearson.

Mountain councillor Terry Whitehead said he is disappointed there is no “green” on the flag to symbolize the city’s Niagara Escarpment or environment.

Members of the governance committee, a subcommittee of the audit and administration standing committee asked that city staff review replacing the current flag and how much it would cost.