Volunteers across Canada are ramping up for the Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) 2023 National Poppy Campaign, which will launch on Friday.“The National Poppy Campaign is instrumental to our work,” said RCL Dominion President Bruce Julian in a Monday press release.“Funds raised allow us to support our Veterans, their families and communities.”The RCL said traditional poppy boxes will be available at thousands of locations across Canada for cash donations and lapel poppy distribution. It added its Pay Tribute tap-to-donate electronic boxes will once again be featured and donors will be able to give through its website. People can expect to see more biodegradable poppies and wreaths, crafted from a variety of natural materials such as paper, cotton velvet, plaster, moss and bamboo. Permanent poppy centre pins are now available to help people keep their poppies on their lapels. The RCL went on to say a large part of the National Poppy Campaign is paying respects to fallen veterans. Therefore, it said it will present the next iteration of Poppy Stories. Through Poppy Stories, people can visit www.poppystories.ca to scan a lapel poppy with a smartphone and be taken to short stories about average Canadians who dedicated their lives to serving Canada. This year, which marks the 75th anniversary of the first United Nations peacekeeping mission, the focus will be on an additional 50 Poppy Stories, highlighting the lives of veterans who participated in peacekeeping assignments. About $20 million is donated during the National Poppy Campaign each year. These funds go to its work to assist Canadian veterans and their families and help foster remembrance of deceased soldiers. In about three weeks, the RCL will hold Canada’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony, which will be livestreamed from its Facebook page. Its ceremony locator found at Legion.ca continues to be populated by branches across Canada to help people find one close to them. “Our focus on Remembrance during this time is also an important part of our mission to never forget Canada’s fallen,” said Julian. There was outrage in Ontario at a grocery chain that refused to allow its staff to wear a poppy in 2020. READ MORE: UPDATE: Poppy anger forces grocery chain to back down and allow staff to wear poppiesThat anger was enough to force Whole Foods to capitulate and allow staff to wear poppies.“Our intention was never to single out the poppy or to suggest a lack of support for Remembrance Day and the heroes who have bravely served their country,” said Whole Foods.
