This Kitchener, Ont. couple created Remembrance Day display with thousands of poppies - Action News
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Kitchener-WaterlooVideo

This Kitchener, Ont. couple created Remembrance Day display with thousands of poppies

There's a large Remembrance Day poppy display at the cenotaph in Mitchell, standing almost seven metres tall with thousands of knitted and crocheted poppies.

The display includes over 3,000 knitted and crocheted poppies

This Remembrance Day display is made of over 3,000 knitted poppies

11 months ago
Duration 1:23
Ron and Sandra Ward explain why they were inspired to create a striking poppy display in the community of Mitchell, Ont. They shared the story behind the display made of over 3,000 knitted poppies on The Morning Edition with Craig Norris on CBC Radio.

Standing at almost sevenmetres tall, the Remembrance Day poppy display in Mitchell, Ont. is made up of more than 3,000 of knitted and crocheted poppies.

The large display was the idea of a Kitchener couple, Ron and Sandra Ward, who wanted to do something special for Remembrance Day this year.

"Both my parents are veterans," Ron Ward told CBCKitchener-Waterloo'sThe Morning Editionon Wednesday.

"My father is a veteran of the RAF fromthe beginning of World War 2 to the end and my mother joined in 1941 and she was a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force."

Remembrance Day was something that was very important to them because of their service. They felt it was a part of their duty "to continue to honour those that had fought and died and those that continue to live as well," he added.

Sandra Ward said each poppy was lovingly knitted and crocheted by friends and family from all over the country and England.

"It was very much a community effort," she said. "I made up kits and...distributed them in the community. I also fanned it out to family and friends."

smiling couple
The striking display at the cenotaph in Mitchell, Ont. was the idea of a Kitchener couple, Ron and Sandra Ward. (Carmen Groleau/CBC)

She says the poppies will be carefully reused in next year's display.

Ron Ward said the community of Mitchell, Ont. was very dear to his parents, which is why they chose to create their poppy display there.

"I think it's one of my parents legacies that we remember that this is about peace and not about war, reflecting on the fact that Remembrance Day is the daywhere peace was declared," he said.

There's a large Remembrance Day display at the cenotaph in Mitchell, standing almost 7 metres tall with thousands of knitted poppies. The striking display was the idea of a Kitchener couple, Ron and Sandra Ward.