Volunteers and cadets braved a crisp Sat- urday morning on Nov. 1 as the Royal Ca- nadian Legion’s annual poppy campaign continued across the city, with teams sta- tioned at storefronts to collect donations and honour Canada’s veterans ahead of Remembrance Day.

At South Hill Fine Foods, Navy League volunteers Lieutenant William Stevens and Heather Milligan-Stevens were greeting shoppers as they stopped to pin on the familiar symbol of remem- brance.

“We’ve always (participated) ever since we’ve been involved with the Navy League,” Milligan-Stevens said.

Stevens, who grew up connected to military service, said the campaign repre- sents a personal reminder about sacrifice.

“I’m from a military background, so it’s just something I’ve always been involved with. Even as a kid, (I was in- volved) through scouting, cadets, and my time in the reserves,” he said.

Volunteers staffed locations across the city from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with cadets assisting at the intersection of High Street and Main Street North, Canadian Tire, Giant Tiger, Real Canadian Superstore, South Hill Fine Foods, Staples, South Hill Shoppers Drug Mart, Moose Jaw Co-op, Safeway, and Walmart.

Although Milligan-Stevens and Ste- vens had only just begun their shift, they said participation appeared steady across multiple sites, particularly at intersec- tions where cadets were visible to passing drivers. Residents were also encouraged to stop by the Legion Lounge for lunch, where a 15 Wing contractor was donating meals in support of the campaign.

“It sounds like (all of our teams have) been doing fantastic,” Stevens said. “They’ve had great participation from ev- erybody coming in and through their ar- eas, (including) our other location in the lot here.”

A separate team was stationed outside

Shoppers Drug Mart on South Hill, where Chief Petty Officer First Class Casper Wilderman and Petty Officer First Class Dylan Neufeld with the Navy League also took part. Both cadets had just begun their shift, but said they were already seeing strong community engagement.

“Yeah,” Wilderman said when asked if community feedback had been positive. “It has been excellent.”

Stevens emphasized that the poppy’s meaning extends beyond a ceremonial tradition.

“The importance of the poppy is so we don’t forget the sacrifices that were made for us through the two great con- flicts, and all the other conflicts that we’ve witnessed up to today and going forward,” he said. “It gives us a reminder that if it wasn’t for the sacrifices others have made, we could be in a lot worse po- sition than we are today.”

The campaign continues through Nov. 11, with funds supporting veterans’ food, housing, emergency needs, and pro- vincial programs such as PAWS for Veter- ans. To learn more, visit Legion.ca.

Residents can still donate via poppy trays at participating businesses, the Roy- al Canadian Legion at 693 Fairford Street West, or by calling the Legion at 306-692- 5453 for more details.

Aaron Walker

Reporter

Moose Jaw Express