The Royal Canadian Legion’s (RCL) poppy campaign to honour and raise funds in support of Canada’s veterans returns for another year on Friday.
The annual campaign runs until Remembrance Day, with money raised by each legion branch helping veterans and their families in those communities.
To mark the start of this year’s campaign, London, Ont. officials, including mayor Ed Holder and mayor-elect Josh Morgan, gathered at city hall on Thursday for a short poppy pinning ceremony alongside local legion members, including Randy Warden, MStJ, chairperson of the London Remembrance Day Committee and former president of Vimy Legion Branch 145.
“I want to encourage all Londoners to participate in the poppy campaign — you’re allowed to have more than one — and as you do, remember our veterans,” Holder said during the ceremony.
“Remember what we’re doing for the sake of making our city and our country the greatest in the world, because it’s your contributions and your heart and your belief in our country that makes it so, so important.”
Vimy Legion poppy chairperson Richard Waring pinned the first two poppies of the campaign onto the lapels of Holder and Morgan, respectively, while newly-re-elected Ward 2 Councillor Shawn Lewis received the third poppy.
Chief Steve Williams, and representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP were also on hand for the ceremony. London legion branches aim to raise $250,000 through the campaign, $10,000 more than was raised last year.
Speaking with Global News after the ceremony, Holder said he was honoured to receive the first poppy of the campaign, and says the campaign hits close to home given his family’s many military connections.
“I had three members of my dad’s side, my dad and his two brothers, who served in the Second World War, New Brunswick Rangers. In fact, one is buried in Belgium,” he said.
“And my mother’s side, one of my uncles was with the merchant navy, and another prior to that served in the Spanish Civil War as part of the Canadian ‘Mac-Paps,’ the Mackenzie-Papineau troop. He went overseas and was never seen again.”
According to the Royal Canadian Legion, money collected during the poppy campaign is used to provide financial assistance and support to Canadian veterans and their families who are in need. Money raised by each local legion branch is used in that particular community.
The RCL provides a list of the things the funds may be put toward, including housing accommodation and care, comforts for veterans and their surviving spouses who are hospitalized, and grants for food, heating, clothing, prescription medication, medical equipment, and more.
“What the poppy campaign means is it means that Londoners have the chance to show their appreciation to veterans because all of the proceeds, all of their loonies, toonies, fives, tens, twenties that go into the poppy bins go towards support of veterans,” Holder said.
“I can’t think of anything more noble.”
Poppy boxes will begin appearing throughout the city on Friday. Although poppies are free, the legion encourages those taking one to contribute. Donations can also be made online.
The city says a full Remembrance Day ceremony will be held on Nov. 11 at the Victoria Park Cenotaph.
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