Canada to celebrate 100th anniversary of Remembrance Day poppy

The Royal Canadian Legion says they are looking forward to seeing Remembrance Day commemorationsas well as the celebration of the poppy's centennial anniversary.

"The ceremonies that are going to be at various cenotaphs are going to be much bigger and much more pointed so that they can explain how the poppy started,"Vancouver Poppy Fund administrator Jim Howard said onCBC's On the Coast.

He said the use of the poppy as a symbol of remembrancewas started by a French woman named Anna Gurinin 1921, when she was inspired by John McCrae'spoem,In Flanders Fieldsto raise money for veteransand to remember those who had given their lives during the First World War.

"She had originally founded a charity to help the children of the people that were displaced or killed during the war," he said.

Approximately 20 million poppies will be distributed bylegion branchesthroughout Canadathis year, and all donations will go directly tosupport veterans and their families.

"The money is used for assisting the veterans themselves who have fallen through the cracks with Veterans Affairs Canada," Howard said.

For the 100th anniversary, Howard says the legion has come out with a special pin that can be purchased at its branches across the province.