The poppy: everyone’s way to remember
The Royal Canadian Legion's Cowichan Branch #53 poppy chair Alice Smithson and president Allan Waddy remind Cowichanians to pick up their poppies in honour of Remembrance Day and the country's fallen. Poppy donation trays are located at numerous valley businesses and local cadets will be out in full force selling the Nov. 11 symbols on Saturday. Or stop by one of the valley's five Legions to pick up a poppy or wreath.
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Poppies are sprouting up throughout the area as Remembrance Day draws near.
Local legions began the poppy campaign late last month. In Ladysmith, veterans and other legion members stood outside stores collecting donations and giving out poppies.
Barney Baines, who could be spotted with poppies outside of the Ladysmith post office on Friday, was on navy convoy between 1943 and 1945. He was 17 and a half when he joined up for the Second World War.
He said he was just a scared little boy and so glad when the war was over and he came home.
He said his ship was always dodging icebergs or torpedoes and he never could get a decent night’s sleep.
He said there was no fresh food on the ship and he still remembers the stink of canned mutton.
If that was fed to the adversary, the war wouldn’t have lasted five minutes, Baines said.
Baines said it is important to remember the war.
“There’s a lot of people that didn’t get back from overseas,” Baines said. “We like to remember these people.
“As long as there are people, there’s going to be wars,” Baines added.
The poppies, as well as being a symbolic reminder of those lost in conflicts, particularly the Second World War, also raise money for veterans and sometimes their widows.
“All the money is kept in trust in a separate account for all veterans,” said Paul Legacy, the past president of the Ladysmith Royal Canadian Legion branch.
“We do extremely well for a small town,” Legacy said, of the amount of funds collected.
All funds raised by the branch stays in the community to help out veterans who may face an unexpected cost they can’t afford, like a wheelchair, for example. Some of the money is used for scholarships for high school students as well.
The same goes for other local branches including Chemainus, Lake Cowichan, Cowichan, Cobble Hill and Malahat
Look for trays of poppies in various businesses throughout the community.
Veterans and Legion members also visit schools throughout the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
Legacy said now there are new veterans to remember as well, including Korean vets and Canadian peacekeepers.
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