The Canadian flag outside City Hall in Nathan Phillips Square was lowered Tuesday morning, going against the newly adpoted policy of the federal Conservative government.

Toronto Mayor David Miller decided to lower City Hall's flag to half-mast, in recognition of the four Canadian soldiers killed in a bomb attack in Afghanistan over the weekend.

"My uncle fought in the Royal Navy ... so I'm personally very aware of the sacrifices that people in the armed forces make, and I take this very seriously," Miller said.

The decision comes amidst a controversial choice by Ottawa to leave flags at normal station above the Parliament buildings - a departure from the previous Liberal government.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty also decided to lower the flags over the Ontario legislature, but only on the days funerals are held for the soldiers.

"I'll let the federal government make its own decisions in that regard, but the Speaker decided ... that the flags here at Queen's Park would be lowered on the dates of the funerals themselves," McGuinty told reporters.

The four slain soldiers include Toronto-native Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Cpl. Randy Payne, Bombardier Myles Mansell and Lieut. William Turner.

They died Saturday when a roadside bomb detonated under their lightly armoured G-Wagon jeep as they travelled from Gumbad to Kandahar -- a journey of about 75 kilometres.

They were returning from a goodwill mission to a northern village.

Their bodies are being flown back to Canada, are are are tentatively expected to arrive at CFB Trenton, Ont., between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Media have been banned from televising that ceremony.

Flag debate

Outside coalition headquarters in Kandahar Monday, the Canadian flag flew at half-mast, while the government defended its choice not to lower the Parliamentary flags.

In a letter to The Globe and Mail Sunday, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor said his government is returning to a tradition that the Peace Tower flag is lowered only once a year, on Remembrance Day.

"The previous Liberal government broke with this long-standing tradition ... and instead decided on an ad-hoc basis to lowering the flag of the Peace Tower," O'Connor wrote in the letter.

"As Minister of National Defence, I can tell you that this adhockery unfairly distinguished some of those who died in Afghanistan from those who have died in current and previous operations."

Fifteen Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since 2002.

An investigation has been launched into this latest attack.

With a report by The Canadian Press