Toronto Mayor John Tory may be a constant figure at flag-raisings at City Hall, but he will not attend the upcoming event to mark the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
"The Mayor is hopeful that in the very near future a resolution will be found to a number of issues between Canada and China which are of great concern to him and to all of the people of Toronto who strongly believe in addressing issues at home and abroad respectfully and with due process," the mayor's spokesperson Don Peat said in a statement.
Tory attended last year's Chinese flag-raising, which included a lion dance and the customary playing of the country's anthem.
However, tensions remain high between Canada and China, following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the request of the U.S. government, followed by the detention of two Canadians in China.
Michael Spavor and Michael Korvig continue to be held.
Charles Burton, a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing, told the National Post that Canadian politicians should unequivocally not participate in events on Monday with Korvig and Spavor still detained.
While flag-raisings of countries happen often at City Hall, they are not official endorsements for politics or policies of a particular nation.
They are rather in recognition of citizens or members of the community that have made the request, the mayor's office says.
"This ceremony, as it applies to China, is usually a celebration of the city's Chinese-Canadian community and its contributions to the building up of Toronto," the statement says.
"While the Chinese consulate is permitted to raise its flag on its national day, people are also free to object to that and to protest it."
Flag-raisings next month include Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Hungary and Cyprus and just two days ago, Tory was swarmed by the Francophone community at the Franco-Ontario flag-raising.
Flags for political parties and organizations are not allowed to be raised, nor are those for religious organizations or commercial entities.
Organizations requesting flag raisings that espouse "discrimination, hatred, violence or racism" are also prohibited.