Canada's National Poppy Campaign is under way and will run through November 11, according to the Royal Canadian Legion. Beginning in 2026, the campaign runs annually from October 24 to November 11, a fixed period that replaces the previous start on the last Friday in October.
Millions of Canadians wear a poppy during the campaign as a visual pledge to remember those who sacrificed for the freedoms Canadians enjoy today, according to the Royal Canadian Legion. Poppies are distributed freely to anyone who wishes to wear one, and donations to the Poppy Fund support Canada's veterans and their families.
The poppy was adopted in Canada in 1921, inspired by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields," according to the Royal Canadian Legion. It remains a symbol of remembrance for Canada's fallen, worn in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day on November 11.
The campaign is run locally by Legion branches in cities, towns and communities across the country, according to the Royal Canadian Legion. Donations collected during the campaign are held in trust at the branch level to directly support veterans and their families in their own communities.
Canadian Armed Forces members are also wearing the poppy on all uniforms from October 24 to November 11 this year, according to the Department of National Defence. The change aligns military dress with the Legion's standardized campaign dates.
Community remembrance activities continue through the campaign period, including the Poppy Drop at the Senate Building near the National War Memorial, which runs from October 24 through November 11, according to the Royal Canadian Legion. Local branches also host Remembrance Day ceremonies, and residents can contact their local branch to find poppies and ceremony details.