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The quick read: The Royal Canadian Legion's National Poppy Campaign begins today, Saturday, October 24, and runs through Remembrance Day, November 11. Wear your poppy on the left side, over your heart. The Kelowna launch began Friday with heavy hearts, according to Castanet, and donations to the Poppy Fund go directly to supporting veterans and their families.

Today is the day to pin one on.

The Royal Canadian Legion's National Poppy Campaign opens Saturday, October 24, and runs through Remembrance Day, November 11.

This year the dates are fixed.

Beginning in 2026, the Legion standardized the campaign to run from October 24 through November 11 every year, replacing the old system where the start moved with the last Friday in October and the campaign could run anywhere from 12 to 18 days.

Consistency is a small thing, but it matters.

It means every Canadian knows exactly when to look for a poppy, when to give, and when to pause.

What your poppy supports

The poppy is not a decoration.

Donations to the Poppy Fund directly assist veterans and their families, and that work continues long after the November ceremonies end.

In a year when the Legion marks its 100th anniversary, that mission deserves more than a passing nod.

It deserves a poppy worn properly, on the left side, over the heart, from today until November 11.

The road to November 11

Veterans' Week runs November 5 to 11, and National Indigenous Veterans Day falls on Sunday, November 8.

Remembrance Day itself is Wednesday, November 11, with two minutes of silence at 11 a.m., marking the hour the First World War armistice took effect on November 11, 1918.

Kelowna's own launch began Friday, and Castanet reports this year's local campaign begins with heavy hearts.

That grief is part of remembrance too.

We remember the fallen, we honour the living who served, and we carry that memory into how we treat veterans in our own community the other 364 days of the year.

So pick up a poppy, wear it proudly, and give generously.

It is the simplest, most decent thing a community can do, and Kelowna has always done it well.

Sources: Royal Canadian Legion, National Poppy Campaign 2026; Castanet, October 23, 2026.

Photo credit: Photo by Chris Sansbury on Unsplash