If you’ve noticed poppies on coats a little earlier than usual this fall, you’re not imagining it. The Royal Canadian Legion has changed the dates of its national campaign, added a new way to donate and, in its 100th year, is putting extra emphasis on what it calls “Don’t Forget to Remember.” Here’s a practical guide to the next two weeks, from where to find a poppy to where to stand in silence for Remembrance Day in Montreal on Nov. 11.
New dates: Oct. 24 to Nov. 11, every year
Starting in 2026, the National Poppy Campaign runs on fixed dates, Oct. 24 to Nov. 11, regardless of the day of the week. In past years it started on the last Friday of October, so the new calendar gives volunteers about a week more. Poppies are handed out freely to anyone who wants to wear one, and donations to the Poppy Fund support Veterans and their families.
The symbol itself dates back to 1921, when the Great War Veterans’ Association, a precursor to the Legion, adopted the poppy in Canada, inspired by Lt.-Col. John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields.”
Tap to donate, and other ways to give
This year’s campaign launched with a first, according to the Legion’s Oct. 24 announcement: volunteers at participating branches can now take debit, credit or digital wallet donations by tapping on their own smartphones. The technology comes from U.K.-based Toucan Giving, and the first year is supported by BMO. It joins other options:
- About 2,000 tap-enabled “Pay Tribute” poppy boxes across the country, supported by RBC
- Online donations of $5, $10 or $20 through the Legion’s Amazon Canada storefront, with a lapel poppy mailed to your door
- Point-of-sale donations at participating Starbucks locations, transferred to local branches
- Poppies at all TD branches, and direct donations at Legion.ca
The Legion stresses that the campaign is local: donations are held in trust at the branch level, and what is given locally is used locally. Close to $20 million is donated to the Poppy Trust Fund each year, much of it during these two weeks.
Where to find a poppy in Montreal
Beyond Legion volunteers, the Legion’s national partners include Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix, Canada Post, Walmart, Best Buy, Princess Auto, The Home Depot, VIA Rail and several banks. Costco joins from Oct. 31 to Nov. 11. If you’re still looking, contact your local Legion branch.
Remembrance Day in Montreal: where to attend a ceremony
Here are confirmed ceremonies on and around Nov. 11. Times can shift, so check the organizer’s page closer to the date.
- Place du Canada, downtown (Wednesday, Nov. 11): the Vimy Foundation’s listing shows a free ceremony from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Peel Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard. Guests are asked to arrive by 10:30.
- Montreal West (Sunday, Nov. 8): the town’s annual ceremony runs from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the cenotaph at 50 Westminster South, per Veterans Affairs Canada. A small procession led by a piper leaves the corner of Curzon and Westminster at 12:15.
- Elsewhere: Legion branches hold ceremonies across the island. The Legion’s Ceremony Locator is updated as branches submit details.
Montreal West’s town calendar also lists a Remembrance lecture at Town Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. and “A Walk to Remember” leaving the Sports and Recreation Centre on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m.
Can’t make it in person?
The Legion’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa will be broadcast live on television and streamed on its Facebook page on Nov. 11. Wherever you are, Canadians are invited to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. Veterans’ Week runs Nov. 5 to 11.
Good to know
Remembrance Day is not a provincial statutory holiday in Quebec, so most schools and businesses stay open; federal government offices close. In Ottawa, the Legion’s Poppy Drop light show cascades digital poppies down the Senate building every evening from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. until Nov. 11, running until midnight on Nov. 10 and 11.
November is also a month of practical deadlines. While you’re planning, catch up on who gets a free flu shot, the Dec. 1 winter tire deadline and this weekend’s time change, and keep up with the city in our News section. Lest we forget. N’oublions jamais.
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Photo: Nick Moreau / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sources: Royal Canadian Legion (news release), Royal Canadian Legion (Poppy Campaign), Vimy Foundation, Veterans Affairs Canada, Town of Montreal West
