By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
Pete Pearson, president of Legion Branch 266 in Valemount, has had a busy few weeks leading up to Remembrance Day. On top of supporting the Legion’s usual activities, like open mic nights on Fridays and pancake breakfasts on Sundays, he’s been distributing poppies to honour veterans and organizing Remembrance Day activities.
The poppy campaign is a nationwide effort by the Canadian Legion to commemorate fallen veterans. Each year, people across Canada pin a poppy to their shirts from the last Friday in October until Remembrance Day on November 11th. Poppies are free to anyone who wants one, but the Legion accepts donations to the poppy fund.
In Valemount, poppy donations have previously gone to the local Meals on Wheels, and funded dinners for local veterans.
While the Legion has received many donations this year, Pearson has noticed that less people are wearing poppies – not just in Valemount, but throughout Canada.
“I check the poppy trays on a regular basis, and places I normally have to refill every two to three days I’m barely having to touch up,” Pearson said. “And it’s not isolated to here, I’ve talked to a few other Legions that seem to have the same problem.”
That said, the Legion has enjoyed support from the whole Valemount community over the past year. Organizations can purchase a wreath from the Legion to use at Remembrance Day events, and wreath sponsorships have been as high this year as ever, Pearson said.
Another popular Remembrance Day event is the poster and literary contests in the elementary and high school.
“It’s always fun. The elementary kids are so enthusiastic about the poster contest, kids will ask me a month in advance when the contest will be,” Pearson said. “Each year, we find a different group of people for the judging, and the people that do it for the first time are just blown away by the quality of the entries.”
Support for the Legion doesn’t end with Remembrance Day events or donations, Pearson added – Branch 266 was supported by the entire Valemount community when members welcomed evacuees from Jasper in late July.
“We were able to open our doors, give people a place with bathrooms, a place to rest. And then in the morning, we had lots on hand for pancake breakfast,” he said. “There was a great group of people that came in to volunteer, many of them not even Legion members.”
That attitude ties in with the Legion’s mandate to serve veterans, country and community, said Pearson. The mandate guides everything Branch 266 members do, even down to Legion dinners and entertainment events.
“We try to keep our prices affordable, so there’s no barriers to coming in and having dinner, or a pancake breakfast on Sunday… I’m always shopping for other entertainment options to bring into the community. My goal has been to get music back in the Valley and in the Legion,” Pearson said. “The biggest thing for us is community service.”
