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The Royal Canadian Legion’s National Poppy Campaign began today with a local ceremony in Airdrie at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 288.
Local dignitaries, including Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown, Councillors Ron Chapman, Candice Kolson, Heather Spearman, and Blake Richards, Member of Parliament (MP) for Airdrie-Banff, and Angela Pitt, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Airdrie-East, attended, as well as RCMP.
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The campaign traditionally begins on the last Friday in October and runs until November 11, Remembrance Day. The initiative invites citizens to wear a Poppy as a pledge to honour Veterans who sacrificed for the freedoms enjoyed today.
According to the Royal Canadian Legion, the Poppy Campaign is a nationwide grassroots initiative led by Legion branches. Donations collected during this time support local Veterans and their families, ensuring Canadians never forget. Poppies are distributed freely, and while contributions to the Poppy Fund are welcomed, they are not mandatory.
Airdrie residents wishing to get a poppy can do so at several locations in Airdrie, including:
- Walmart Supercentre
- Real Canadian Superstore
- Safeway
- Save on Foods
The annual Field of Crosses ceremony will also be held on Saturday in Airdrie.
While details have yet to be released, a city-wide Remembrance Day Ceremony is anticipated to be held at Genesis Place on November 11, with various city officials and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 288 members as well as the public in attendance.
Other November ceremonies include Rocky View County's annual No Stone Left Alone ceremony at the Garden of Peace Cemetery on November 6 at 11 a.m.
This event honours the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom, ensuring that no veteran is forgotten. Organized by the No Stone Left Alone Memorial Foundation, the ceremony features students placing poppies on veterans' headstones to remember their service.
Canadians observe Remembrance Day every November 11 at 11 a.m. to mark the end of hostilities in World War I and honour those who served in the nation's defence. Initially known as Armistice Day, the observance began in 1919, but it wasn’t until 1931 that the Canadian government officially renamed it Remembrance Day, separating it from the Thanksgiving holiday.
This change helped increase public recognition and led to widespread ceremonies across the country, where attendees honour fallen soldiers through two minutes of silence, playing the Last Post, and reciting "In Flanders Fields."
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