With Remembrance Day less than two weeks out, the annual poppy campaign has begun.

Bill Richards is the Poppy Campaign Chair for the Steinbach Legion. He says they began deliveries on Friday.

"The campaign runs from the 29th of October until the 11th of November when the service takes place. In terms of poppies, I have reached out to the major retailers and I am still waiting to hear back from some but most are on board with a limited campaign involving the scouts and guides this year assisting us. We are hoping that the scouts and guides, their presence will really kick off interest in the campaign."

Bill RichardsWith limited volunteers at the legion and some COVID-19 restrictions getting in the way, Richards says they won't be able to get poppies to every business that wants them, but they will do their best.

Richards says if you would like to have a poppy box at your business you are encouraged to drop by the legion during their hours of operation. He reminds everyone that the new Steinbach Legion Headquarters are at 227 Main Street Unit 5 and they are open from 9:30 to noon Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

As far as the school program goes, Richards says “we have set aside almost 12,000 poppies and stickers for the schools along with the program.”

As always, poppies are free of charge but Richards says donations are always welcome. He all of the money received during the poppy campaign is put straight back into the community.

"We cannot use poppy funds for operational expenses or anything like that. Every nickel that is donated must be returned to the community. For instance, this year, we donated $5,000 to STARS, we just donated $5,000 for a special needs bicycle for a child in Steinbach. In the past, we have purchased medical equipment for Bethesda Hospital, Grunthal Care Home, and we look forward to doing that again."

Richards says last year, the Steinbach Legion ordered a bunch of poppy masks and many of them arrived late, so they are now being sold at the Legion and at the Pat Porter Active Living centre as part of the campaign.

This year’s Remembrance Day service is being held at the Pat Porter Active Living Centre at 10:30 A.M. Unfortunately, Richards says the service is by invitation only.

"If you wish to lay a wreath on behalf of a loved one who was a veteran of the armed forces or if you are an armed forces veteran and you wish to participate, you must reach out to me at brichards@mymts.net and I will ensure you are added to the list of invitees. We are only permitted about 150 people and that isn't a lot."