The 2021 Poppy Campaign is underway and is the 100th anniversary of the national tradition and fundraising activity.
An official announcement was made at the Royal Canadian Legion's Barrie branch on Friday morning to start the campaign, which marks the 100th year that a poppy was affixed to a lapel as a sign of remembrance for those who served Canada during wartime.
This year’s campaign has a goal of $240,000 and Poppy Campaign chair Fern Taillefer believes they can get there.
When he was asked last year what amount of money he would be happy to see donated during the campaign in the COVID era, Taillefer said “in and around $70,000 would be great.”
He was very happy with the number raised after the final tally.
“With the generosity of the businesses and folks in Barrie and the surrounding area, we raised $109,000,” said Taillefer. “This year, now that we’re open a bit more and the cadets are out canvassing, we'll see an even greater number.”
Taillefer said most of the money raised last year is already nearly gone, having being spent on things such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers and even “widows with leaky roofs,” citing the work done to make living comfortable for veterans and their families.
Silver Cross Mother Carol Collier lost her son, Sapper Brian Collier, 11 years ago when he was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. She had her poppy pinned to her lapel during the ceremony.
Collier told BarrieToday that while she and her husband, Jim, are looking to talk less at large engagements, she reminds everyone that “for families who lost loved ones in war, every day is Remembrance Day.”
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman says this is a time to reflect on the sacrifices made by many families.
“While we remember mainly the great wars of many years ago, we need to think of the Collier family as an example of those who have lost loved ones in more recent times as well," he said.
Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard, who is also the Conservatives' shadow minister for Veterans Affairs, was also on hand to help launch the campaign. The MP said he "respects and admires the work that brave men and women have done for people all over the world and at home.”
At today's ceremony, Brassard also called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to raise Canadian flags that have been lowered due to the injustices and tragedies within the residential school system.
Brassard told BarrieToday he is asking for the flags to be raised fully on buildings again starting Nov. 1.
“The flags have been down now for five months, since May when we found out about the tragedies at these residential schools," he said. "There is a time-honoured tradition of the flag being lowered at sunset and raised for Remembrance Day to pay homage to hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have been killed and those who are still living with the trauma of war, both mentally and physically."
Brassard said many Canadians feel it is time to raise the flags, and that included many Indigenous leaders he has heard from.
“Let's not forget that there are many, many Indigenous Canadians who fought on behalf of the country,” the MP said. “Many of them paid the ultimate sacrifice and I just want to see that ritual and tradition continued, of lowering and raising the flag.”
Barrie City Hall’s flag is one of many municipal flags that has been lowered since May.
“Pretty much all municipalities follow the lead of the federal government, so whatever is happening on the Peace Tower in Ottawa is what happens on our flag poles,” Lehman said. “It has been the decision of the federal government this year to have flags lowered to recognize all those children who were killed by the residential school system, so our process has always been to follow the federal government.
"If they raise the flags at the Peace Tower, we’ll raise the flags in Barrie," the mayor added.
Poppies are being distributed throughout the city starting today and until Nov. 11. You can also get them at the Barrie legion, which is located at 410 St. Vincent St.
