Royal Canadian Legion
Each November, Poppies bloom on the lapels and collars of millions of Canadians.
The significance of the Poppy can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, over 110 years before being adopted in Canada.
Records from that time indicate how thick Poppies grew over the graves of soldiers in the area of Flanders, France. Fields which had been barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended. During the tremendous bombard-ments of the war, the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble of destroyed buildings, allowing the “popaver rhoeas” to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed, and the Poppy began to disappear again.
The person who first introduced the Poppy to Canada and the Commonwealth was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario, a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War. John McCrae penned the Poem “In Flanders Fields” on a scrap of paper in May 1915, on the day following the death of a fellow soldier. Little did he know then, those 13 lines would become enshrined in the hearts and minds of all who would wear them. McCrae’s poem was published in Punch Magazine, in December of that same year.
Madame Anna Guérin conceived the idea for the Remembrance Poppy of France. She was inspired by John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields.” Anna had originally founded a charity to help rebuild regions of France torn apart by the First World War and created poppies made of fabric to raise funds.
Later, Anna presented her concept to France’s allies, including the precursor to The Royal Canadian Legion, The Great War Veterans Association. The idea was considered at a meeting in Port Arthur, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) and was adopted on July 6th, 1921.
Today, the Poppy is worn each year during the Remembrance period to honour Canada’s Fallen. The Legion also encourages the wearing of a Poppy for a Veteran’s funeral and for any commemorative event honouring Fallen Veterans. It is not inappropriate to wear a Poppy during other times to commemorate Fallen Veterans, and it is an individual choice to do so, as long as it’s worn appro-priately.
Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear the Legion’s lapel Poppy each November, the little red flower has never died, and the memories of those who fell in battle remain strong.