Tom McElhinney marking the 100th anniversary of the poppy at Mountain View Cemetery in Lethbridge on July 6, 2021 (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Local legion marks poppy’s 100th anniversary

Jul 6, 2021 | 12:20 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The 100^th anniversary of the poppy was celebrated in Lethbridge Tuesday.

The Royal Canadian Legion General Stewart Branch, in partnership with the Alberta Branch of the Last Post Fund, hosted a commemorative ceremony at Mountain View Cemetery.

The poppy serves as a symbol of remembrance for the sacrifices made by veterans of war, as well as their families.

Originally, the idea of the poppy came from Madame Anna Guérin, later christened with the title of ‘The Poppy Lady from France’. She was inspired by the classic John McCrae poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. The famous piece of literature gave her the idea to adopt the distribution of the poppy on Armistice Day as a way to raise money for veterans, as well as to remember those who had given their lives during World War One.

Since then, the Legion and its members have carried on the tradition of making poppies available to Canadians in the lead-up to Remembrance Day every November.

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NEW INITIATIVE

This year, the Legion’s General Stewart Branch in Lethbridge is launching a new initiative. It’s encouraging residents across southern Alberta to share a memory they have of a loved one that is associated with the theme of the poppy, remembrance, or service in the Armed Forces, using the social media hashtag #mypoppymemory.

Shared stories will be collected during the 2021-2022 year, and later published when the initiative is completed.

Chair of the Poppy Committee of the Lethbridge Branch, Tom McElhinney said “it’s interesting see how such a small thing as a poppy such as I have here today, a replica of the original, how such a small thing can spread throughout the world as an iconic reference to something that was so tragic, but nevertheless we remember it with fondness because of those who were involved.”

He noted that with it being the 100^th anniversary of the poppy, it would be wonderful to get 100 stories as part of the #mypoppymemory campaign, with more being even better. The #mypoppymemory campaign is slated to be on-going through this time next year. The hope is for the Legion to raise enough money to publish the stories in a collection.

“It’s also an opportunity for me to remind, especially the young children going back to school, about the poster and literacy campaign that will begin again in September, which is always around the symbol of remembrance and service and honouring those who have gone before.”

McElhinney added that veterans have many ties to Lethbridge, and the Legion plays a very important role in the lives of veterans.

He said that, “we don’t appreciate that many veterans come back from service with post-traumatic stress syndrome. They come back with problems with adjusting back to everyday life, and it’s not always to talk to people with whom you cannot share your particular experience.”

“So, it’s important to provide a space where people can come, feel comfortable, feel secure, feel safe in their story, not to be judged because they feel one way or another, and for the Legion to help them through those difficult times to adjust.”

He added that the poppy and work of the Legion is a reminder to the community of the fact that many did go to war and lost their lives, “and that the freedoms we have today, we enjoy because of their sacrifice [and] because of their service.”