In September 1975, these three people, along with Donald Obunsawin, Normand Rainville and Yves Tassé, formed a committee responsible for the flag, its promotion and distribution. Gradually, the flag was adopted by the Franco-Ontarian community and became an important symbol of the heritage and identity of French Ontario and the fight for French language rights and education in the province.
In 2014, Mr. Gervais was awarded the Order of Canada for his contributions to the Francophone community. In addition, on September 25, 2017, the Ontario Heritage Trust unveiled a historical plaque at the University of Sudbury to celebrate the importance of the flag symbol.