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It’s that time of year again when red poppies return to the prairies across Saskatchewan, a small symbol with a powerful meaning.
Lieutenant-Governor Bernadette McIntyre received the province’s first poppy on Wednesday morning at Government House in Regina, officially launching the Royal Canadian Legion’s 2025 Poppy Campaign.
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The pin was presented by Roberta Taylor, president of the Legion’s Saskatchewan Command, in front of veterans, serving members and dignitaries.
“The poppy is not just a flower, it’s a promise,” Taylor told the crowd. “It’s a promise that we will remember those who served, those who sacrificed and those who continue to carry the burdens of service.”
Lieutenant-Governor Bernadette McIntyre and Major Brad Hrycyna of the Last Post Fund pose for a photo following his presentation on Saskatchewan’s unmarked-grave program during the 2025 Poppy Campaign launch at Government House. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
McIntyre said the moment carried personal weight. Her late mother served as a radar operator during the Second World War.
“It was such a thrill and a real honour,” she said. “My mother served in the Royal Air Force in England, and we always wore poppies on Nov. 11. So to receive the first poppy myself, that was special.”
The lieutenant-governor said the ceremony is a reminder that remembrance extends beyond one day a year.
“We must always remember how important peace and freedom are,” she said. “Even something as simple as saying, ‘Thank you for your service,’ goes a long way. The men and women in uniform really appreciate that.”
Taylor said the annual poppy campaign remains the legion’s most visible and vital initiative, raising funds year-round to help veterans and their families.
“It’s the largest public event that the legion puts on,” Taylor said.
“Every dollar raised goes directly into the Poppy Trust Fund to support veterans across Canada, helping with rent, groceries, medical care and especially mental health supports for those dealing with PTSD.”
She added that the campaign continues to evolve as veterans’ needs change.
Lieutenant-Governor Bernadette McIntyre presents a poppy to Keith Inches, curator of the Saskatchewan Military Museum, during the 2025 Poppy Campaign launch at Government House on Oct. 29, 2025. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“Our newer veterans, especially from Afghanistan, have very different challenges than before,” Taylor said. “Mental health is front and centre, now, and the legion is there for that.”
The ceremony also features a presentation by Major Brad Hrycyna of the Last Post Fund, who describes volunteer efforts to locate and mark veterans’ graves across Saskatchewan.
“No veteran should even be deprived of a dignified funeral or headstone,” Hrycyna said, sharing the story of a D-Day veteran in Swift Current who finally received a proper marker decades after his death.
McIntyre, who serves as honorary patron of the Last Post Fund in Saskatchewan, called the work “a moving example of how remembrance continues to grow and evolve.”
Before the ceremony concluded, McIntyre presented the second poppy to Keith Inches, founder and curator of the Saskatchewan Military Museum, in recognition of his 41 years of work preserving the province’s military history.
Poppies will be available Oct. 31 at Legion branches, participating stores, and public venues across Saskatchewan. While the flower is distributed freely, donations help fund programs that provide emergency aid, housing support, and mental-health services for veterans and their families.
“It’s poppy season,” McIntyre said. “Let’s wear them with pride, and remember what they stand for.
