The display originated from the Sunset Ceremony that was held after the introduction of the Canadian Flag on Parliament Hill in 1965.
The ceremony is also derived from the historical Beating Retreat that originated in the United Kingdom and a military tattoo.
[3] On Feb 15 1967, local cadet units and the HMCS Carleton Band performed during the first ceremony on Parliament Hill.
[4] For the most part, the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets perform the ceremony annually, with the most prominent one being held at CSTC HMCS Quadra.
[5][6] In years past, naval youth cadet organizations from Hong Kong, Australia, Sweden, South Korea, and the United Kingdom have been participants.
On completion of the shoulder arms, the bugler sounds Alert and the band commences to play the "Orchestrated Sunset".