In 1859, the Halifax City Council resolved to appropriate £50 to purchase a banner for the Union Engine Company. This initiative was part of broader efforts to improve and support the fire department. The formal motion was made on March 21, 1859, and included a provision that the "Volunteers join in the procession," likely referencing the volunteer fire companies suggested in a report dated December 2, 1859.
The banner itself was presented to the Union Engine Company with considerable ceremony on June 8, 1860. The event was significant enough that the Council requested each Division of the fire department to bring their engines to the Grand Parade for the official presentation. The banner still exists and is preserved at the Nova Scotia Firefighters Museum in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
This gesture was one of several during this period aimed at recognizing and dignifying the service of the Union Engine Company, which also included the issuance of official uniforms and the donation of cemetery lots for the erection of a firemen’s monument.