Royal Canadian Legion 2025 National Poppy Campaign now underway!

More ways to donate, Poppies online for home delivery

OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Royal Canadian Legion’s 2025 National Poppy Campaign and Remembrance Period officially launched today with additional access to Poppies, and thousands of locations participating in initiatives to encourage Canadians to Remember.

“The countless people who donate to the campaign during this period make a huge difference in Veterans’ lives,” says Berkley Lawrence, Dominion President. “Their donations allow us to help Veterans at the ground level, providing the assistance they need, from obtaining benefits to emergency funding. We thank everyone who contributes to this mission, and to all who take time to remember the sacrifices of our Fallen service members during this period.”

Gratifying comments such as: “…how incredibly helpful you have been and the stress you alleviated knowing you were available to provide guidance and support!” reflect the positive changes made in Veterans’ lives, thanks to the contributions Canadians make each year.

Ways to donate: Modern and traditional

With support from RBC, the Legion has doubled the number of “Pay Tribute” tap to donate boxes this year, allowing donors to contribute five dollars or multiples of that number, by using a tap enabled device. The boxes are located throughout the country, including in Legion branches.

In collaboration with Amazon Canada, this is the second year donors can contribute $2, $5, $10, or $20 in any combination, to receive a Poppy online to be delivered to their door. This expanded accessibility reached thousands of people last year, allowing access to Poppies in areas that do not have a Legion branch, or are not close to a larger centre. The Legion storefront on Amazon.ca will offer lapel Poppies until November 11. One hundred percent of the funds will go directly into the Legion’s Poppy Trust Fund to help support our Veterans and their families.

The Legion’s Amazon storefront also offers other Remembrance items such as the ever-popular Poppy centre pin which can be quickly shipped across the country. Additional items will continue to be available past November 11 to help Canadians remember and support Legion operations.

A larger collection of hundreds of items can be found throughout the year at the Legion’s online Poppy Store.

Traditional Poppy boxes will still be available for donations and people can pick up a biodegradable Poppy at many thousands of outlets throughout the country. For a third year, that includes TD Bank branches where customers can also donate to the Poppy Trust Fund via that bank’s payee system – donations will go to local Legion branches.

Additionally, supporters can give online at Legion.ca. Funds donated across the country during the National Poppy Campaign support Veterans and their families. What is donated locally is used locally. Close to 20 million dollars is donated to the Poppy Trust Fund throughout the year by generous supporters, with much of that support coming in during the National Poppy Campaign.

The importance of Remembrance: Special initiatives

Ongoing Remembrance initiatives will continue throughout the Remembrance Period, including community and partner support across Canada with innovative programs. For example, the City of Ottawa is circulating buses with vivid Remembrance murals, and VIA Rail has once again wrapped train cars with visual messages of Remembrance.

People can visit poppystories.ca to scan their lapel Poppies and learn about a Veterans’ story. The initiative helps people build deeper and personal connections with our Veterans. Canadians may also notice many more Remembrance-themed crosswalks this year, featuring a new design created by the Legion to help municipalities show support for Veterans year-round.

The Legion’s ceremony guide for teachers, remains accessible and online for teachers across the country. Created in collaboration with Veterans Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence, features information and tools to help hold a youth-focused Remembrance ceremony at educational institutions. The guide can also be tailored for use by any organization, allowing workers to attend a ceremony even if they are not in a position to leave their offices and participate at a cenotaph on November 11.

Perhaps the most sacred part of Remembrance Day ceremonies is the two minutes of silence which is taken to quietly reflect upon our Veterans’ sacrifices and remember them with deep gratitude. The Legion’s program to help encourage this action continues to grow with the participation of hundreds of electronic billboards which will go black at 11 am on November 11 to encourage people to take two minutes of silence no matter where they may be. City of Ottawa buses and trains will pause to mark gratitude for our Veterans, a program that will hopefully expand to other municipalities in future years.

Remembrance through Light

Beginning October 31, beautiful Poppies representing Fallen Canadian Veterans will cascade virtually upon the Senate building (this year the Peace Tower is not included due to construction). The Poppy Drop will take place until November 11, from 6:30–9:30 pm ET. On November 10 and 11, the display will extend to midnight. Virtual poppies will also cascade down the National Art Centre’s “Kipnes Lantern” on November 11, from 6:00 am ET to midnight ET.

Many well-known Canadian landmarks and community locations such as the CN Tower, the City of Toronto sign, and the City of Ottawa sign in its Byward Market - among other wonderful locations – will light up at various times throughout the next two weeks in support of the National Poppy Campaign and Remembrance.

Starting October 31, and running each night, the Legion’s Virtual Wall of Honour will be displayed on a column of the Senate of Canada building. It is a silent video sharing the faces of Canadian Veterans who have passed, with photos submitted by people from across the country.

National Ceremony, Blackhawk fly-past

The annual National Remembrance Day Ceremony organized by the Legion at the National War Memorial in Ottawa will take place on November 11. There will once again be a grand Veterans’ Parade and a CF-18 aircraft fly-past. This year, an RCMP Blackhawk helicopter will fly over the site at the end of the ceremony, paying homage to those who have given their lives in service to Canada. The 2025 ceremony will also recognize the 25 ^th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Solider – a symbolic and special site that represents Fallen Canadians including those whose identities will forever remain unknown.

The live presentation of the national ceremony will be accessible via the Legion’s Facebook page and national broadcasters will cover the ceremony on television.

Legion Branches continue to add to the Ceremony Locator at Legion.ca to allow Canadians to find a Legion-supported Remembrance ceremony closest to them. Canadians can also check with local Legion Branches to verify times and locations.

About The Royal Canadian Legion

Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With over 270,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

Public Relations/ Media inquiries: PublicRelations@Legion.ca; Nujma Bond 343-540-7604

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LinkedIn.com/company/royalcanadianlegion

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