Following the First World War, the 1st Battalion Canadian Machine Gun Corps Colours were hung on the east wall of the nave in St. James Cathedral. Brass tablets beneath the Colours list the battles in which the battalion took part.
In earlier times, Colours played a prominent part in many battles. They served to identify units in battle, often marking the focal point of a struggle. Captured Colours were a prized trophy and attracted enemy attention and inspired much gallantry. By the late 19th and 20th Century, however, they were no longer carried in battle, but their status as the heart and soul of a Regiment continued, and the laying up of Colours signifies and helps keep holy the memories of the men who sacrificed their lives.