Mobile cenotaph at Red Deer Legion Branch # 35. (rdnewsNOW / Sheldon Spackman)

By Sheldon Spackman

Adjusting To COVID

Red Deer Legion not hosting Remembrance Day Service this year

Oct 21, 2020 | 4:18 PM

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Royal Canadian Legion in Red Deer to cancel its formal Remembrance Day Service this year.

Bev Hanes, President of Red Deer Legion Branch # 35 says the decision was made based on current health protocols and with the safety of local veterans and citizens in mind.

“With no venue for us other than the cenotaph, which has always been used by the Korean Veterans Association on November 11, we will just be laying a few wreaths at 9:00 a.m. that morning, so there’s no formal ceremony,” says Hanes. “We’re encouraging people to stay home with their families that day and maybe have a discussion on remembrance and what it means to have our veterans come back safely from war, and to thank those who gave their lives for world-wide freedoms.”

Another major change brought on by the pandemic is the elimination of the Legion’s annual two-day poppy blitz as Hanes says poppy trays will not be delivered to local stores this year.

“There’s not a lot of space in the stores,” she explains. “Many are open to us sitting outside their doors but it’s not practical with our senior citizens. We’re not specifically taking poppy trays out to businesses, but if they want one, they can phone and we’ll make arrangements with them to have one.”

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Hanes adds, “Many counters now in stores have plexiglass and just don’t have room on their counters to be able to look after them. So we’re encouraging people to come to the Branch where they can get wreaths and poppies. I’m sure there will be quite a few trays out there but just not as many as people are used to seeing.”

Alberta’s annual Poppy Campaign launched on Wednesday, following the first poppy presentation at the Alberta Legislature where Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani was presented with a poppy by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Nathan Cooper.

The Royal Canadian Legion’s annual Poppy Campaign takes place from the last Friday in October until Remembrance Day Nov. 11.

Any local business or organization wishing to lay a wreath for Remembrance Day this year is encouraged to contact the Red Deer Legion, which is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m..

“We already have our mobile cenotaph that we’ve always used at the Arena. It’s set up here now at our Legion branch with the flags behind it,” says Hanes. “Any business or organization that wants to display a wreath, we’ll be putting it up there in our branch.”

“We’re also encouraging people to think of a wreath this year if they want to purchase one from us to display out in their front yard or put it out on a gravesite of a veteran,” suggests Hanes. “The need is always there for help for our veterans. We just want to be able to be there for them to help and that’s what our Poppy Campaign is for.”

Hanes says close to $100,000 was raised during last year’s Poppy Campaign.

“I would think it might be at least half of that this year. If veterans are coming in for help, we give them a very small amount actually to start with and then we put them over to Veteran’s Affairs.”

Hanes says the Red Deer Legion has historically put money towards research programs that aid veterans who have lost limbs or suffered other serious injuries, as well as donations to Veteran’s Affairs in Calgary, all local cadets, and Red Deer Hospice Society among others.