The Royal Canadian Legion’s 2024 National Poppy Campaign launched last week with wider access to Poppies than ever before, Remembrance stories about Canada’s Veterans highlighting the Royal Canadian Airforce, a new ceremony planner for teachers, and hundreds of new locations participating in an advertising blackout to encourage Canadians to take two minutes of silence.

“There are so many ways to show our gratitude for the sacrifices of our Veterans,” says Berkley Lawrence, Dominion President. “I am very proud of the new initiatives we are presenting this year to make it even easier for Canadians to join in collective Remembrance.”

Ways to donate: Traditional and new!

Through an inaugural collaboration with Amazon Canada, the Legion is presenting another way to receive a lapel Poppy. A new storefront on Amazon.ca offers lapel Poppies for donations of $2, $5, $10, and $20 until November 11. One hundred percent of the funds will go directly to the Legion’s Poppy Trust Fund to help support our Veterans and their families. The Legion’s Amazon storefront also offers other products such as “We Remember” lawn signs and red neon window Poppies which will continue to be available past November 11 to help Canadians remember. A larger collection of items can be found at the Legion’s online Poppy Store.

Traditional Poppy boxes will once again be available for donations and lapel Poppy distribution at thousands of locations. Another 1000 “Pay Tribute” tap-enabled donation boxes will be found at many Legion Branches, select RBC branches and select retail locations. With $2, $5, and $10 options, donors can also receive a lapel Poppy from them. Additionally, supporters can give online at Legion.ca.

Funds donated across the country during the National Poppy Campaign support Veterans and their families. What is donated locally is used locally. Close to 20 million dollars is donated each year by generous supporters.

Poppy Stories: A 2024 focus on the Royal Canadian Air Force

This year’s iteration of “Poppy Stories” pays homage to Fallen members of the Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF), with 2024 being its 100^th anniversary. When people go to PoppyStories.ca to scan their lapel Poppy with their smartphone they will first be taken to short personal stories about RCAF members. They will also read stories of Veterans from all arms of the Canadian Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to our country. The Poppy Stories initiative helps people build deeper and personal connections with our Veterans.

The importance of Remembrance: New ceremony guide, two minutes of silence

This year, the Legion is presenting a new ceremony guide for teachers, accessible across the country. The guide features background information and tools to help hold a youth-focused and complete Remembrance ceremony at educational institutions. The guide is complimentary and was created in partnership with  Veterans Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence. It is another way to fulfill the Legion’s mission, and a means to ensure that next generations will help keep the memory of our Fallen Veterans alive.

Perhaps the most sacred part of Remembrance Day ceremonies is the two minutes of silence taken to quietly reflect upon our Veterans’ sacrifices and remember them with deep gratitude. The Legion’s program to help encourage this action has grown dramatically this year with dozens of new organizational and business participants. The Legion is also featuring some special public service announcements to invite people to take two minutes of silence no matter where they may be.

Biodegradable Poppies and Wreaths: Better for our environment

The Legion’s biodegradable Poppies and wreaths are crafted from a variety of natural materials such as paper, cotton velvet, plaster, moss, and bamboo and they allow the Legion to help reduce its environmental footprint. They will once again be featured as part of the 2024 campaign. Because these biodegradable items were launched only a couple of years ago, it could take additional time for residual stock to be depleted, so don’t be surprised to find a previous version in the mix.

Symbols of Remembrance: Poppy Store

Canadians looking for symbols of remembrance throughout the remembrance period and beyond can find them on the Legion’s online store at poppystore.ca. There are hundreds of respectful items to choose from, including innovative jewelry and clothing, with most featuring the Poppy of Remembrance.

Among the wide variety of Remembrance items being offered this year to show support for our Veterans is an LED Poppy light, a newly-designed Poppy lawn sign, and the ever popular Poppy centre pin to help keep lapel Poppies affixed. Purchasing an item from poppystore.ca, through the Legion’s new Amazon storefront, or from a Legion Branch, ensures a Poppy-themed product is an official item created and endorsed by the Legion.

Remembrance through Light

Beginning October 25, beautiful Poppies representing Fallen Canadian Veterans will cascade virtually upon the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill and on the Senate building. The Poppy Drop will take place until November 11, from 6:30–9:30 pm ET. On November 5, 10, and 11, the display will extend to midnight. Virtual poppies will also cascade down the National Art Centre’s “Kipnes Lantern” on November 11, from 7:00 am ET to midnight ET.

Many well-known Canadian landmarks and community locations such as the Calgary Tower, BC Place Stadium, Canada Place Sails of Light, the CN Tower, the City of Toronto sign, Niagara Falls, and the City of Ottawa sign in the Byward Market among others, will also light up at various times throughout the next two weeks in support of the National Poppy Campaign and Remembrance.

Starting on October 25 and running each night, two large screens on Parliament Hill will also show the Legion’s Virtual Wall of Honour, a silent video sharing the faces of Canadian Veterans who have passed, with photos submitted by people from across the country.

National Ceremony, Vintage plane fly-past, Ceremony Locator

A touching National Remembrance Day Ceremony organized by the Legion at the National War Memorial in Ottawa will take place on November 11. There will once again be a grand Veterans’ Parade and a CF-18 fly-past. In recognition of the 100^th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, several vintage aircraft are expected to make an appearance.

The live presentation of the national ceremony will be accessible via the Legion’s Facebook page and national broadcasters will cover the ceremony on television.

Legion Branches continue to add to the  Ceremony Locator at Legion.ca to allow Canadians to find a Legion-supported Remembrance ceremony closest to them. Canadians can also check with local Legion Branches to verify times and locations.

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“This is a special time for the Legion and for all Canadians,” says Bruce Julian, Dominion President. “While we remember our fallen Veterans year-round, this is when the whole country is focused on our collective gratitude for their sacrifices.”

Ways to donate: Traditional and modern

Traditional poppy boxes will be available for donations and lapel poppy distribution at thousands of locations. Once again this year, 1000 “Pay Tribute” tap-enabled donation boxes will be found at many Legion branches, HSBC branches, and select retail locations. There are $2, $5, and $10 options and donors can also receive a lapel poppy from these electronic boxes. Additionally, donors can choose to give online via Legion.ca.

Funds donated across the country during the National Poppy Campaign support Veterans and their families. Funds donated locally stay local. Close to 20 million dollars is generously donated each year.

The ceremonial start to the 2023 National Poppy Campaign took place on October 20, with Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, accepting the First Poppy from Dominion President Bruce Julian.

Poppy Stories: A focus on peacekeepers

The Legion is excited to present the next iteration of “Poppy Stories” this year. People can visit PoppyStories.ca to scan their lapel poppy with their smartphone. They will then be taken to short personal stories about Canadian Veterans who gave their lives in service to our country. This year, 50 new faces have been added and all of them were peacekeepers, with 2023 marking the 75^th anniversary of the first United Nations peacekeeping mission. The Poppy Stories initiative helps people build deeper and personal connections with our Veterans.

The importance of Remembrance: Taking two minutes of silence

A very sacred part of Remembrance Day ceremonies is the two minutes of silence taken to quietly reflect upon our Veterans’ sacrifices and remember them with deep gratitude.

This year, the Legion has created some special public service announcements to invite people to take two minutes of silence no matter where they may be.

A second and unique initiative based on the importance of taking two minutes of silence at 11:00 am on November 11^th, will also be unveiled in the coming days. Stay tuned!

Biodegradable Poppies and Wreaths: Reducing the environmental footprint

The Legion began distributing new biodegradable poppies and wreaths in 2022, and they will be back again this year. They are crafted from a variety of natural materials including paper, cotton velvet, plaster, moss, and bamboo and they allow the Legion to help reduce its environmental footprint.

It may still take additional time for residual stock to be depleted, so some branches may still offer a combination of old and new and items.

Symbols of Remembrance: Poppy Store

Many Canadians looking for symbols of remembrance throughout the remembrance period and beyond are happy to find the Legion’s online store at poppystore.ca. There are hundreds of tasteful items to choose from, including innovative jewelry and clothing, with most featuring the Poppy of Remembrance.

Three new items being featured this year include the LED poppy light, a 24k gold-rimmed poppy pin, and a poppy lawn ornament. The popular poppy centre pin to help keep lapel poppies affixed is once again available, and is a top three seller so far this year along with the gold-rimmed pin and the lawn ornament.

Purchasing an item from poppystore.ca or from a Legion branch is the only way to ensure a poppy- themed product is an official item created and endorsed by the Legion.

National Ceremony, Local Ceremony Locator: Find your ceremony

Canadians can expect another beautiful National Remembrance Day Ceremony organized by the Legion at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on November 11. There will once again be a grand Veterans’ Parade and a CF-18 fly-past.

The live presentation of the national ceremony will be accessible via the Legion’s Facebook page and national broadcasters will cover the ceremony as in the past.

The Legion is also expanding its  Ceremony Locator at Legion.ca. Branches are populating this page to allow Canadians to find a Legion-supported Remembrance ceremony closest to them. The Legion also recommends that people check with local Legion branches to verify any remaining restrictions related to gatherings during the pandemic.

Remembrance through Light

Starting on October 27, 117,000 poppies representing Fallen Canadian Veterans since the First World War will cascade virtually upon the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill and on the Senate building. The Poppy Drop will take place until November 11, from 6:30–9:30 pm ET. On November 5, 10, and 11, the display will extend to midnight. Virtual poppies will also cascade down the National Art Centre’s “Kipnes Lantern” on November 11, from 7:00 am ET to midnight ET.

Many well-known Canadian landmarks and community locations such as the CN Tower, BC Place Stadium, Canada Place Sails of Light, and the City of Ottawa sign in the Byward Market among others, will also light up at various times throughout the next two weeks in support of the campaign and Remembrance.

Starting on October 27 and running each night, two large screens on Parliament Hill will also show the Virtual Wall of Honour, a silent video sharing the faces of Canadian Veterans who have passed, with photos submitted by people from across the country.

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