The Cowichan Valley’s Laura Dickinson has been working since April of last year to hand make hundreds of poppies for Remembrance Day.
All that work has paid off, and her poppies are now available for public purchase, with funds raised from the sales to go to the Duncan and Shawnigan Lake branches of the Royal Canadian Legion, in a year when these organizations are expecting a lower return from their usual Poppy Campaign fundraising, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the second year in a row that Dickinson has made poppies out of felt, wool or any other available material as a fundraiser.
She said her family has a long tradition of service in both the British and Canadian armed forces, and this is her way of giving something back. She was inspired by a display at the Tower of London.
“They retail for $8 each and are all unique and crafted by me at my home, in the car, truck, waiting rooms, and anywhere I can sit for two minutes,” Dickinson said.
You can pick up one of these beautiful handcrafted pieces at Fabrications, Willow and Orchid Florist or Sun Valley Pools and Spas in Duncan.
—With a file from Robert Barron