It’s poppy season, with the Royal Canadian Legion launching its annual poppy campaign throughout the country on Friday.
Branch 76 in Minnow Lake hosted a ceremony on Friday marking the occasion, at which a poppy flag was raised and members were given their orders to distribute poppy boxes.
Boxes will be planted at approximately 150 locations throughout the Minnow Lake and New Sudbury neighbourhoods alone, while other Legion branches will distribute boxes elsewhere.
“People will be able to find our boxes at a lot of different locations,” poppy chair Bernadette Lamirande said, listing off various locations encompassing a wide variety of businesses.
Members will be stationed at some locations with poppies spread throughout a table to reduce points of contact for COVID-related concerns, and local cadets will assist during the campaign’s second weekend.
Those who pick up a poppy are expected to drop in a donation, with last year’s effort raising approximately $56,000 toward various causes, including Meals on Wheels and Cancer Care at Health Sciences North. A big goal coming up will be sponsoring a room at Maison McCulloch Hospice, which relies heavily on donations for its operations.
Donations go toward “any charity that can show us they help the community, but specifically that they help veterans,” Lamirande said. “We really try to take care of our veterans.”
Friday’s ceremony saw Ward 12 Coun. and Deputy Mayor Joscelyne Landry-Altmann read a proclamation declaring Oct. 28 to Nov. 11 Poppy Days in Greater Sudbury, and Nov. 11 Remembrance Day. She was joined by Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc and mayor-elect Paul Lefebvre.
The poppy, Landry-Altmann said, is “a symbol of unity and our shared pledge to never forget the brave Canadians in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and to honour the men and women who continue to serve proudly today.”
Last year saw Royal Canadian Legions (earlier known as The Association of Canada) celebrate the 100th anniversary of the poppy being worn as a symbol of remembrance in Canada.
The flag references the poem In Flanders Fields, a poem by Guelph-born LTC John McCrae
On Friday afternoon, a larger poppy flag was raised behind MIC Restaurant at the corner of Falconbridge Road and The Kingsway, measuring 4.5m x 9m. The flag replaces an older one of the same size which has been raised for the past couple years, and was installed by RufDiamond Ltd., whose owner, Daryl Adams, is a 12-year veteran of the Canadian Forces.
Legion Zone H3 public relations officer Gisele Pharand told Sudbury.com that a Remembrance Day ceremony is being planned for Memorial Park in downtown Sudbury, and that another ceremony might be held at the Minnow Lake branch, though details have yet to be hashed out.
Last year’s Memorial Park service was cancelled in lieu of smaller branch ceremonies.
A note on poppy protocol
According to the Royal Canadian Legion, poppies are to be worn throughout the Remembrance period, from Oct. 28 to Nov. 11, plus the funerals of veterans and for any commemorative event such as a memorial service or the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. It’s also appropriate to wear one during other times to commemorate fallen veterans.
As for location, they note: “The poppy should be worn with respect on the left side, over the heart. The Legion’s lapel poppy is a sacred symbol of Remembrance and should not be affixed with any pin that obstructs the poppy. Also available through some branches is the Legion's reusable black centre poppy pin to affix your lapel poppy.”
Poppies can be removed at the end of the day on Nov. 11, though some choose to place their poppies on a cenotaph or a wreath during a ceremony as a sign of respect.
When removed, it should be stored appropriately or disposed of respectfully. The Legion encourages anyone who finds a poppy that has fallen to the ground to pick it up and brush it off so it can be kept or disposed of respectfully.
Despite these suggested guidelines, the Legion notes, “Wearing a poppy is a personal expression of Remembrance, and how someone chooses to wear a poppy is always an individual choice.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
