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Vets angered by poppy puppies

We wear poppies on our coats every November. We observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m. each November 11. But why do we do it? What is Remembrance Day all about? The way we mark the day has certainly evolved over the years, but it still holds special meaning to countless Canadians. CBC Digital Archives looks at the significance and the symbols of Remembrance Day.

Is "the ass of a dog" any place for a Remembrance Day poppy? No way, says Second World War veteran Harold Bastable. He's furious that the Royal Canadian Legion is raising money by marketing toy dogs spotted with poppies. According to this 2003 CBC-TV news report, many veterans associations are also disgusted with the "poppy puppy". But others say the toys are a valuable method of spreading the message of Remembrance Day to a younger generation. 
• As of 2009, the Royal Canadian Legion was still distributing "poppy puppies" for sale in its branches.
  • In 2005, then-Leader of the Opposition Stephen Harper was overheard complaining about the pin attaching the poppy to his lapel. Rather than the straight pin that came with the poppy, he had been using his MP's pin to secure it. According to the Canadian Press, someone informed Harper that the Legion opposed any other sort of pin. "The Tory leader then told his advisers to 'get a pin that works.' Harper added that 'they only had 80 years to perfect the technology.'"

• Aware of complaints that the poppy is too easily lost, the Royal Canadian Legion tried marketing a poppy with a protective sheath on its pin. But according to its website, most branches reported that Canadian rejected the sheathed version in favour of the standard straight pin. 

Medium: Television
Program: The National
Broadcast Date: Oct. 6, 2003
Guest(s): Harold Bastable, Cliff Chadderton, Cliff Tessier
Reporter: Mike Edgell
Duration: 2:48

Last updated: February 23, 2012

Page consulted on April 2, 2013

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