The city will consider planting 100 red poppies to commemorate the anniversary of the start of World War I.
Teresa Glover, an Ontario resident, is asking Campbell River to plant the flowers in city gardens to mark the occasion.
“It will be 100 years in July to the start of WWI,” Glover wrote. “To remember the men and women that fought in this war, I think it would be a lovely idea if the city of Campbell River planted in their public gardens 100 red poppies. The poppy tradition came from WWI and given that John McCrae, author of In Flanders Fields’ was a Canadian, it would be a great tribute to him also.”
Coun. Ron Kerr agreed and said the city should find a way to mark the anniversary, whether it be by planting poppies or by some other means.
“I think it’s important to commemorate this event,” Kerr said. “The poppy is a great idea but there may be others.”
Kerr said at the April 22 council meeting he had called the legion to discuss possible ideas and said it’s something the legion and the city “could work on.”
WWI began on July 28,1914 and ended on November 11, 1918 – which is celebrated each year on Remembrance Day. The city last year gave 11th Avenue an honourary name – Veterans Way – to mark the November holiday and to recognize our veterans.
Glover hopes the city will go one step further and said there’s no time like the present.
“Poppies can be planted in early spring and bloom late spring/summer so the timing would be appropriate,” said Glover, who noted 13 communities in Ontario have agreed to plant 100 poppies as well as other cities across the country such as Halifax, St. John’s, Victoria, and Saskatoon.
Campbell River city council committed to approach the local legion to discuss starting a project to commemorate the start of the First World War.