Local efforts to make the ‘poppy flag’ a national symbol is making progress
Posted Nov 11, 2025 04:02:25 PM.
Last Updated Nov 12, 2025 08:20:45 AM.
As Canadians gathered to recognize Remembrance Day, a local veteran is continuing efforts to make the “Lest We Forget” poppy flag a national symbol of remembrance.
For several years, New Dundee native and Canadian Armed Forces veteran Donald Eenkooren has been working to bring the poppy flag to Ottawa so it can be used as part of official Remembrance Day ceremonies.
It’s already in use at legion halls and municipal buildings in Waterloo Region and across the country.
After realizing he couldn’t go it alone, he turned to the New Hamburg Legion Branch 532, which helped get the flag flown locally.
Branch president Brian Miller was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show and spoke about the legion’s involvement in the campaign. He said they soon realized they’d need a bit of political weight behind their push.
“We went to our MP Tim Louis, and he immediately gave us support, financially. He knew the ins and outs to make things happen, and it worked out really well in the end.”
Miller said with Louis’ help, the flag was used as part of the ceremony recognizing Veterans’ Week in Ottawa, “we were only given an hour to fly the flag, which was not what we hoped for, but we now have our foot in the door and we’re going to keep moving forward.”
Miller was thrilled with the progress made, but he recognized there is more work to be done.
“For us, we look at it (Remembrance Day) year-round. To get the public’s attention and keep them in a supportive mode for the veterans is part of this poppy flag campaign. It’s to keep that attention constantly on.”
Remembrance Day around the Region
There was some sort of Remembrance Day ceremony in all communities that make up Waterloo Region.
Veterans’ parades marched through city and township streets on their way to local cenotaphs. The largest gathering was in Kitchener, where hundreds dressed warmly to attend the ceremony at the Duke St. Cenotaph.
Pastor Hans Borch delivered a message of remembrance.
He spoke about how we often and rightly focus on the soldiers, but many others have made the ultimate sacrifice to serve our communities and our country.
“We also remember emergency services, fire departments, police and ambulance service.”
He gave thanks to the sacrifice from all those years ago, and we have lived in relative peace for decades, distancing ourselves from the realities of war.
“For those of us who have never lived through a war, it’s impossible to imagine what it was like to emerge from air raid shelters to find whole streets destroyed. All we can do is watch television as they broadcast the destruction of places like Gaza and Ukraine.”
He added, “We are here to remember all those people of whatever country who have died in the pursuit of freedom and good. We’re here to give thanks for their lives, lives given for the freedom of many countries around the world.”
