Poppies distributed across Windsor

Canadians are going into their 93RD year of wearing lapel poppies as a symbol of Remembrance Day.

Across the country war veterans partner with The Royal Canadian Legion to distribute poppies to people in exchange asking for a donation of any size.

Second World War veteran Arthur Anderson, who served as a Royal Canadian Air force navigator, sat in the Real Canadian Superstore on Dougall Friday, distributing poppies with pride.

“I enjoy doing it and I think people respond to the poppy campaign because they know the money goes to help veterans,” Anderson said.

Acording to the Legion’s website, an average of 18 million poppies are distributed and $14 million raised each year during the campaign. The donations are distributed to a number of programs that help veterans and their families

“It’s spread across the country,” Anderson said. “All the legion branches can use poppy funds to help veterans that need it. We have a good pension scheme, but there’s a lot of cracks in the scheme too. There’s a lot of fellows who are very desperate and they need help.”

Patriotism in Canada has been highlighted within the past month with the fatal shooting of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, on Parliament Hill while he stood guard and the running down of Warrant officer Patrice Vincent in Quebec.

“The fact that we lost a couple fellows last week, people realize, ‘Hey this is a free country, we’ve got diversity, total economic and physical freedom,’ and this is so important,” Anderson said. “I think it stirred some people up to the fact that this is a free country and it’s nice to be here, it’s very important.”

John Landon was shopping with his granddaughter Alysha, 3, when he made a donation to Anderson.

“It means I’m blessed to live in a country like this where people would give their life so that I have the freedom I have,” said Landon.

Landon encouraged Alysha to wear her poppy and told her about the importance of wearing it.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that they (the youth) are not being patriotic,” said Landon. “If they’re not it’s because we’re not teaching them. I would blame it on us as much as them.”

Tara Langlois, who works at Tim Horton’s at the corner of University Avenue and Bruce Avenue, said she has seen people of all ages donating.

“Yesterday, a little boy I think he was like eight,” Langlois said. First he asked about it then as soon as I told him what it was, he donated right away.”

As for keeping the poppy secured on your clothes once you get it, Anderson has a simple solution.

“I just use a pin. That keeps the poppy on.”

At 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 11, the city of Windsor will be hosting a Remembrance Day ceremony at the downtown cenotaph located near City Hall.