By TERRY PUGH
Denis and Rachelle Poirier of Duck Lake put a lot of kilometers on their vehicle this time of year.
Eighty-three-year-old Denis and 80-year-old Rachelle, a happily-married couple who often finish each other’s sentences, are long-time leaders of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Duck Lake branch. They and a few other dedicated volunteers from the only operating Legion branch in the Sask Valley area organize the distribution and collection of Remembrance Day Poppies in several communities including Martensville, Warman, Osler, Hague, Rosthern, Duck Lake, Beardy’s & Okemasis and MacDowall.
“We’ve distributed 25,000 poppies so far,” explained Denis Poirier in an interview October 26, four days after the Legion officially kicked off the annual campaign. “That’s slightly up from last year. There are some new businesses, including a grocery store in Warman that took six boxes – that’s about 600 poppies.”
Poirier said every year for the past decade, the number of poppies that Duck Lake Legion branch members distribute rises as more people realize the significance of the campaign and what it stands for.
“Some people who aren’t familiar with what the poppy stands for may have the wrong impression,” said Poirier. “They may say, ‘I don’t want to wear a poppy because I don’t believe in war.’ Well, I don’t believe in war either, but that’s not what the poppy represents. The poppy is a symbol of freedom and democracy and it’s a sign of respect for those who fought and died for those ideals. They made the ultimate sacrifice so that this generation and future generations can live in peace and freedom.”
Poirier said there’s also a heightened awareness of the campaign as a result of the recent tragedy at CFB Wainwright in Alberta, where four soldiers lost their lives and dozens more were seriously injured as a result of a wildfire during a combat training exercise.
“People seem to want to express their support for our armed forces and veterans even in peace-time,” he said, adding the local Legion branch greatly appreciates the assistance of the 574 Air Cadet Squadron in Martensville.
“The Cadets put in long hours selling poppies,” said Poirier. “They bring in at least a thousand dollars every year, and in some years they’ve gone as high as $1400 in poppy sales.”
Funds raised from the local poppy campaign are used to assist veterans and their families from the area.
“This year we are helping a veteran get a service dog,” said Poirier. “The veteran suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and having a service dog will help the person in so many ways.”
Poirier said the involvement of schools in organizing their own Remembrance Day services is also a positive sign. The Legion distributes poppies to schools throughout the region, including paper poppies that stick on clothing for the younger grades.
The Royal Canadian Legion headquarters made the decision this year to launch the campaign a little earlier than in the past.
“We got the memorandum at the end of July that the campaign would begin on the third Thursday of October,” said Poirier. “Traditionally, it has always started the last Saturday of October. But, I guess that date always seemed to interfere with Halloween, so a change was made. It’s apparently going to be a permanent thing going forward, which allows more time to raise funds through the campaign.”
This year the poppy campaign focuses on the role of Women in the Armed Forces. Poirier said the Duck Lake Legion is also dedicating this year’s campaign to the memory of Korean War veteran and long-time local Legion member Claude Petit, who passed away last summer.
“Claude was very well-known in our community and a very colourful character,” said Poirier. “He was an inspiration, and a role model for young people. He was the Canadian Army Heavyweight Boxing champion, and he also won the British Army Heavyweight Boxing championship, when he was in the armed forces. He worked with young people to teach them to box, to give them something constructive and positive to do. So we are celebrating his memory at our annual Remembrance Day service at the Duck Lake Belladrome on Wednesday, November 11.”
The service in Duck Lake will also feature a colour guard made up of veterans, service personnel and RCMP members, along with a bugler to perform The Last Post.
A large Remembrance Day service is also slated for November 11 at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex in Warman.