Poppy season is here again!

[Buzz]

This year's campaign kicked off today so keep an eye out for the poppy boxes and sellers at your local mall, subway station, coffee shop etc. There are still a few of the old warriors left and they will be out selling the poppies so get yours.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/26...aign-kicks-off

[Artemis@BC]

Maybe I can set a new record this year -- last year I think I lost my (first) poppy within 10 minutes of buying it!

[my little pony]

thanks for the reminder, i will look for one tomorrow. the weather might be too bad for them on sunday.

[skatesindreams]

I wish that we still had these sales in the US.
They seem very uncommon now.

[AragornElessar]

This year is bitter sweet for me, as my Cousin Nelson passed away this past Spring. Nelson was a WWII Vet who fought in the Holland Campaign and helped to liberate the Dutch. We were really close and as this is the first Remembrance Week w/out him here...

Yeah.

Tomorrow is one of Dad's Dialysis days and I told Mom to pick one up for me if she sees a box anywhere. Depending on whether or not she goes out after dropping Dad off that is.

On Toronto news tonight they were showing a group of Vets giving a class, I'd say Grade One kids, their Poppies and explaining what the Poppy means and stands for at a kick off event they did at one of the major Subway stops. Around the area in the Subway Station they were at, they'd taken those red heart shaped balloons, took four and tied them together w/a black balloon in the centre to make up "Poppies" they'd put up around their area. Neat way to make sure they caught the attention of people. At least I thought so.

I was surprised not see Poppies on the jackets of Rod, Tracy, Brian Williams or Sara the backstage reporter during the Skate Canada coverage today, but I'm sure that'll be a different story come tomorrow/later today.

Thanks for starting the annual thread Buzz!!

[Buzz]

Finally got a couple today!

[Garden Kitty]

I wish that we still had these sales in the US.
They seem very uncommon now.

They're still popular in my neighborhood, but in May around Memorial Day. I always end up with a lot of them because even if I just donated to one person, I have a hard time passing by an 80 year old man in his old uniform collecting for a good cause.

I always associate Canada's poppy season with Skate Canada since I'm often in Canada at that time of year. I wish them much success in their campaign.

[Really]

The schools always have poppies for sale. I noticed ours were in the office on Friday, ready to be set out for Monday.

[misskarne]

We always have poppies here, but they don't tend to appear until the week preceding the 11th. I've lost so many poppies over the years. Last year they brought out these beautiful enamel pins in the shape of a wreath of poppies, so I bought one of those. Now I have poppies year-round.

[algonquin]

Do you remember the year that they changed the centres from green to black? Veteran Affairs said something about returning to the poppies to the way they used to be or something like that. Anyway, that change seem to confuse the whole country. Almost everyone said the same thing, "I don't remember the black centres". It was quite funny.

[Buzz]

Never knew the reason for the change.

[Buzz]

Just a reminder that you still have a few days left to get your poppy.

[AragornElessar]

History Canada has also started it's Remembrance Week programming tonight w/Saving Private Ryan. For those who missed the documentary done for the Anniversary of Dieppe and the stunning revelations that were revealed during it, keep your eyes out this week for it to be re broadcasted. IIRC, they did that w/all of the programming for the 90th Anniversary of Vimy Ridge and the last major Anniversary of D Day as well, so if they stay true to form, this will be shown again sometime this week.

[misskarne]

The RSL guys were at work this weekend. Even though I have my poppy wreath pin, I couldn't resist. I notice they sell the poppies themselves on pins now. So, I bought another one.

[Skate Talker]

Just got my poppy today at the grocery store. Still have one uncle left who served in England during the war - airplane ground crew. I think this must have been pretty tough area though he didn't see face to face combat he would have been so aware of the number of crews that never returned.

You don't need to be losing all those poppies people. It is very simple. Push the stick pin through the front of your clothing. Hold the poppy against the material and gently pull the head of the pin out of the centre until about half the is out of the flower. Push the end of the pin through to the front of your clothing, being sure to catch an outside edge of the poppy flower with the pointy part of the pin. Push/pull the pin until the head is all the way back down in the centre of the poppy. The poppy will be locked in place. Try pulling it off by lifting on the poppy if you don't believe me - it won't come off.

[Buzz]

I put a tiny piece of tape on mine.

[AragornElessar]

I use my Guardian Angel of Canada pin for mine. One Vet I was talking to at Nelson's Funeral told me that was one of the most fitting pins used to keep a Poppy on that he'd ever seen. Needless to say, that gave me a nice feeling knowing I'd done good in the eyes of those the Poppies mean the most to.

[Artemis@BC]

Finally got my hands on a white poppy -- aka a "peace poppy." (I had one last year but managed to lose that one too.)

I wear both. The traditional red poppy as we know honours those who have fought in various conflicts. The white peace poppy commemorates all victims of war -- including civilians and the environment -- and is a call for rejecting war as a means of resolving conflict.

I don't see either as being mutually exclusive, but to me it's appropriate to wear both.

[AragornElessar]

Thought I'd post this in here to help get the word out...

CTV News ~ Canadian Legions feel crunch for volunteers during poppy campaign

The Legion hasn’t had the greatest membership renewals in the past 30 years,” says Inga Cruse, executive director at the Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon Command. “People think you need to be a veteran to join.”

That simply isn’t true, says Cruse. The requirements for Legion memberships are easy: You must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant over the age of 18.

“The problem is that people from the public don’t realize they can actually volunteer to canvas poppies,” says Cruse. “If they want to give two hours to veterans they can come in and get a poppy tray, as long as they can provide ID.”

If your Legion is experiencing this problem and you have the time, it would be another way to say "Thank you" and help our Vets.

The Bank of Canada also released the new $20 bill and on the back in gorgeous detail is the Vimy Ridge Memorial, as well as Poppies. From the pictures I've seen of it, it really looks gorgeous and what a wonderful tribute to those who fought at what is considered the Battle that turned Canada from another British colony into a Nation in her own right.

One of whom I found out a couple of years ago was a Great Uncle on my Dad's side of the Family. I still need to pop in the DVD copy I made of that documentary our History channel did for the 90th Anniversary of Vimy of the cavern that's below the Ridge our troops took shelter in both before, during and afterwards, and left these incredible carvings on the walls. I forget how many Regimental crests this one man carved, but I do remember one of them is of The Black Watch Regiment of Canada and is just beyond incredible in the detail he put into it. At the end of the documentary, they show a list of the men who had carved their names into the walls of the cavern and I keep meaning to pause when it gets to the "B's" to see if he's there or not.

Maybe I should do that tonight since I'm thinking of it...

[Buzz]

Part of the problem is so many of our old soldiers are dying out.