Legion will safely deliver poppies this year

With the ongoing COVID-19 situation the upcoming Remembrance Day ceremonies in Yorkton will be decidedly different.

The same can be said for the lead up to the ceremonies by the Royal Canadian Legion General Alexander Ross Branch No. 77 - Yorkton.

Comrade Brittany Johnson with the local Legion said they will be offering a new poppy delivery service as a response to the current situation with the pandemic.

This year Legion volunteers will be doing a contactless poppy delivery drive in Yorkton Nov. 1.

Johnson said anyone wanting poppies delivered safely to their homes this year, all they have to do is send the Legion a private message on Facebook indicating their address and how many poppies they would like delivered.

Then, starting at 1:00 p.m. Nov. 1st, volunteers will visit the addresses on our order list and exchange poppies for donationsleft in people’s mailboxes.

As always poppies are by donation, with poppy centres also available at $2 each.

All donations from our poppy sales will go towards the Legion’s Poppy Fund, which directly supports Canada’s veterans and their families in need and local charities and organizations in Yorkton.

The response has already been good, added Johnson.

“I’ve got a whole page of addresses written down already,” she said.

Legion Poppy Chair Barry Whitehead said poppies will also be available at the same stores as in the past, but because of the COVID situation they will not be manned by volunteers.

The in-store poppies and wreath sales will begin Oct. 30.

Another change this year is that the Legion will not be visiting schools ahead of Remembrance Day, said Johnson.

“We’re working on doing something virtually,” she said, adding the details “are still to be determined.”

Remembrance Day

The local Remembrance Day Services will be going online as well.

“We decided to do this because we’re in a hotspot right now,” said Johnson.

The event will be held at the Gallagher Centre but only with a handful of dignitaries and veterans in attendance.

“It will not be open to the public,” said Johnson.

However, the service will be online for the public to watch via the Legion’s Facebook page.

Johnson said while the Mayor, MLP, MP, Silver Cross Mother and Legion will lay wreaths as part of the ceremony, other official and organizational wreaths will be laid at the ceremonial cenotaph in the Flexihall by Legion members ahead of the service.

A small candlelight service will be held at the Cenotaph on Darlington Street, said Johnson, adding again they are not inviting the public.