Poppies sold in Williams Lake this year have already done what the campaign is intended for, helped a veteran.
The funds were used to house a veteran, said co-chair of the poppy campaign and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139 member Bonnie O'Neill.
One of campaign's mandates is to help veterans by finding them a place to live where they can be comfortable and safe, have meals and made to feel like they are a part of society, she told the Tribune.
"It's one of the things I'm so proud of in our hometown with our poppy fund," O'Neill said. "When a veteran comes and identifies themselves with us, we will help. They don't have to be a member of our legion."
Richard Dubreau served with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Armed Forces for a total of 36-and-a-half years, retiring in 2010.
He moved to Williams Lake six months ago, where his daughter and grandchildren live, and has become an active member of the local legion.
Dubeau said he knows of veterans who are living on the streets because they find no support when they leave the military.
"We need to start looking closer at how we can help them. Be it housing, food, they shouldn't be living under bridges and cardboard boxes," he said.
As she eyes Nov. 11, O'Neill said remembering the service and sacrifice of the men and women who fought in wars to preserve our freedoms, is the responsibility of the legion.
""If we don't remember the sacrifices they will be meaningless," O'Neill said. "They died for us. War has touched us all. It touches all races, all ages, all social classes. Fathers, daughters, sons, sweethearts - the were all killed in action. Thousands were wounded and returned, forced to live the rest of their lives with physical and mental scars from the wars."
In the First World War, between July of 1914 and November of 1918, 16-plus million lives were lost, Dubreau noted.
"The Second World War was from 1939 to 1945 and was the worst war in history," he said. "Seventy-eight to 85 million people were lost, although the total lost count is not completely known. There was a rate of three to one casualties were civilian."
Canada also sent troops to the Korean War between 1950 to 1953 and to the war in Afghanistan between 2019 to 2021.
"We lost 159 Canadian casualties in Afghanistan and another 22 that were non-combatant and in harm's way that did not come home. This is our history, and that is why we remember them," Dubreau said.
Dubeau joined the Royal Canadian Navy on April 14, 1974, at the age of 19 and was stationed between Esquimalt, B.C. and Halifax, N.S. working as a hull technician (shipwright).
From 1986 through 1989, he was recruited to serve with the Canadian Armed Forces in Moncton, N.B. before returning to the navy until he retired.
Of the 36 years he served, 21 years were spent at sea.
He first joined the legion on April 19, 1973.
Dubeau served overseas with the NATO fleet during many theatres of operations and missions.
Through the peace keeping operations, he did humanitarian relief after wars in Somalia and Former Yugoslavia.
"We repaired and replaced buildings," he said.
Dubeau has veteran licence plates on his vehicle and said since moving to Williams Lake he has had many people thank him for his service.
Remembrance Day is very important, said Marlene Combs co-chair of the poppy campaign.
"My folks didn't serve but I still remember going to a Remembrance Day service in Stony Plains, Alberta when I was about 10-years-old."
O'Neill said when she was about 12 or 13-years-old she had to write an essay about what Remembrance Day meant and where it came from.
She won the essay-writing contest in her school and went on to read it at another school.
"I had not realized how much respect there was for the poppy and Remembrance Day until I spoke in front of the students and their parents. They were so grateful to have a young person talk about it and understand it," she recalled. "That's when Remembrance Day first meant something to me. It made me full of pageantry and it made me full of speeches."
She learned that day it was about "being together with like-minded people who respect veterans and our freedoms and our history," she added.
As usual, the legion will host a Remembrance Day service in the Gibraltar Room beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11.
Immediately following the service, the Colour Party and Legionaries will lead a parade to the Cenotaph at city hall.
The cenotaph service will include two minutes of silence, which O'Neill said is a sacred part of the service because it is the time to reflect upon "our veterans' sacrifices and remember them with deep gratitude."
Following the moments of silence will be a wreath-laying ceremony.
After that the Colour Party and whomever would like to accompany them will then march to the legion for a wreath-laying ceremony at the cenotaph there.
Everyone is invited to the legion for food, refreshments and camaraderie, O'Neill said.
There will be hot dogs and hot chocolate served downstairs for children.
