RMNACSTC Freedom of the Town Banff, Alberta, 4 Aug 2012.

Freedom of the City, or Freedom of Entry, is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Croatia, France, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community; the term applies to two separate honours, one civilian and one military.

Freedom of the City is an ancient honour granted to martial organizations, allowing them the privilege to march into the city "with drums beating, colours flying, and bayonets fixed".

This honour dates back to the laws of ancient Rome that made it a capital offence for Roman legions to enter the city in formation or with weapons without permission. This was meant to ensure that ambitious generals did not mount a military coup against the Senate. (It was that law that Julius Caesar broke when crossing the Rubicon.) Similar laws were passed by cities throughout the Medieval era, also to protect civic security and rights, even against their own king's troops.

However, legions, regiments, or other martial groups that had given heroic service or whose honour was beyond question, might be granted Freedom of the City: the group would not have to disarm or break ranks before the city gates were opened to them. Given the serious risk the city would be running, this was a rare honour.

Today, martial freedom of the city is an entirely ceremonial honour, but remains the oldest and one of the highest civic honours in the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Freedom of the Town (City) was awarded to Banff National Army Cadet Camp in July 1990. Since that time, it has been exercised every few years wit ha parade down Banff Avenue. The unique culture of Banff being a tourist towns affords an opportunity for visitors from near and far to view the parade.

The first ever Freedom of the City for cadets anywhere in Canada was awarded to Vernon Army Cadet Camp in Vernon BC, on Aug 4, 1979 in honour of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets 100th anniversary and the Cadet Camp's 30th anniversary.


By kind permission LCol D. West, CD, commanding officer Rocky Mountain National Army Cadet Summer Training Centre.

camera/editor - F. Arseneault
copyright AVS Inc 2012

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