Poppy wall on display ahead of Remembrance Day

Local communities across Waterloo Region are setting up displays with homemade poppies as a way to honour veterans.

In Wellesley, a display is set up outside the Township of Wellesley Administration Office.

Beth Schlueter and a group of women came up with the idea to put up a display ahead of Remembrance Day.

“How many of our children really will remember and understand why we have the freedoms we have,” Schlueter said.

The display is made up of crocheted poppies that Schlueter and members of the community made.

The City of Waterloo also has a poppy wall at the Community Pavilion.

A poppy wall on display. (Submitted/Jennifer Huber)

“To just know that we really respect all those that have served,” said Sarah Kelly, community leisure programmer with the city.

The city and the Royal Canadian Legion Waterloo put a call out to the community to crochet poppies to add to the display.

A crochet kit and instructions were supplied to those who contributed.

“We've seen 700 poppies come in so far from the community, and some of them have come as far as Nova Scotia,” said Kelly.

The display at the Community Pavilion will also be accompanied by a book that is filled with stories from veterans, so people can learn more about local soldiers.

“Typically, we talk a lot about Canadian stories, but we do have people from all over the world here who have served. That’s a shared experience across the globe, so we wanted to bring that together,” Jennifer Huber with the City of Waterloo Museum said.

The displays will be up until Remembrance Day.