A different look for Remembrance this year.
The Legion’s annual poppy campaign begins at the end of October.
Chairman of the Poppy campaign Charles Crosby says poppy boxes will be restricted to a few locations only because of the pandemic.
“We very much know that it’s difficult for the public,” he explained. “They to see the veterans out there on poppy day, they like to see the cadets. Well, we can’t have either one of those out this year. But please, when you see the box out there this year, remember it’s always going to the same cause: to the veterans.”
Crosby says when the poppy campaign officially begins, they will be available at fewer locations.
Wreaths to honour our veterans are available now.
“Start the poppy campaign on the 31st, the last Friday of October,” he explained. “If you want to buy a wreath, you can come out here to the Legion now, we started the campaign for the wreath selling from 10:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon Monday until Saturday.”
Crosby notes that Remembrance Day services will also be scaled back, with nothing planned for the Mariners Centre.
Instead, the ceremony will be held exclusively at the monument in front of the library in downtown Yarmouth.
Meantime, an Ontario MP believes Royal Canadian Legions have been ignored in federal COVID-19 relief packages.
Eric Melillo says Legions need support and he’s turning to the government for help.
“Unfortunately the government has been silent, really all summer long on this issue, so I chose to write to the Minister of Veteran’s Affairs and urge him to provide some support to our Legions to ensure that they can continue to survive and offer the services that our veterans need.”
The Conservative says allowing Legions to be shuttered due to the pandemic would be a tragedy.
