As the Royal Canadian Legion’s annual poppy campaign launches on Friday, the national veterans support organization has introduced two significant changes to the promotion.
For the first time, the Legion will have biodegradable poppies and wreaths available. The poppies will be made from paper and cotton velvet, while the wreaths will be made from paper, cotton velvet, bamboo and real moss. Only the poppy pins and wreath bows will not be biodegradable. While the organization says that it will be a few more years for the residual stock to be completely depleted it will eventually only distribute the biodegradable option.
“We’re always looking at ways to modernize to make it easier for people to donate and add new things to the campaign… these have been several years in the making. It’s taken a bit of time to find out just the right materials to use for them,” said Legion spokesperson Nujma Bond.
“We distribute close to 20 million poppies every year. Although in some areas people may be able to put them into the recycling campaigns, recycling is different than being biodegradable. And so the environmental footprint that’s left at the end of the day is very different. And we wanted to make sure that we could also do our part in being more environmentally sustainable in our activities,” Bond said.
Also new this year is “Poppy Stories.” Scanning a poppy with a smartphone will bring up a website with a small anecdote about different Canadians who gave their lives in service to the country.
Compiled with the help of Veteran Affairs Canada, the stories will include things about veterans such as where they grew up, some of their interests and how they served, she explained.
“It’s a little window into the lives of Canadian veterans. And one way to also feel closer and feel a deeper connection to the veterans of our country and what they have done for us in the long term.”
This is also a way to connect with the younger generation, Bond added.
“All of these stories will resonate at different levels for different people, because they will see themselves in those lives in those stories. And our hope is just that people will connect with the veterans who have served our country and see a little bit of themselves or even family members in those stories and be able to connect more deeply with our veteran population.”
Locally, the Elmira Legion has received generous support over the years, said Sandy Pember, chair of the poppy campaign.
“Hopefully we’ll continue again this year so that we can assist veterans and also we make donations to the local hospitals and some other beneficiaries as well,” Pember said.
That support goes beyond the poppy campaign, she added.
“We’re very fortunate that it’s not uncommon for people when someone passes away that they ask for donations to be sent to the Legion or to the poppy fund. And it varies of course, but it really does help us pursue benefiting different organizations.”
The poppy is a symbol of remembrance not just of the past, but of the present as well, Pember said.
“Over the years we’ve got younger veterans and we’ve still got younger people in the services and when I think it’s important that we acknowledge them as well as those who worked hard and in the First and Second World War, Korea, Afghanistan – each of those scenarios.”
This year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies in Elmira will take place on November 6 with a march from the Legion building to the cenotaph at 2:45 p.m. A dinner will also take place at 6 p.m. Tickets are $17 and can be purchased at the Legion on First Street.
