A Ballinran Entertainment video urges locals to support Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 in Stratford ahead of Remembrance Day.
The video was posted on Thursday, with the company asking the community to provide funds to the Legion to ensure Nov. 11 ceremonies can continue.
It features images of the Stratford Cenotaph and messages from the late Art Boon, the former Chief Warrant Officer at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8.
There are also grainy, black and white images from the war, past local Remembrance Day ceremonies and children reading the poem, In Flanders Fields.
Ballinran President Craig Thompson said this comes as 2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
“The Royal Canadian Legion shouldn’t have to struggle every year to find the funds to actually run the Remembrance Day program,” said Thompson.
“There’s fewer veterans of war in our midst and when they disappear, we lose our memory of war and conflict and what it means to fight for your country.”
Thompson said Stratford has a history of pride and commitment to protecting freedom, and it’s a community obligation that Remembrance Day continues to be commemorated and the local Legion branch gets support.
Legion Branch 8 Poppy and Remembrance Fund chairman and Branch Service Officer Stephen Zurbrigg said Remembrance Day costs $8,500 to set up the ceremony, and another $4,000 to buy poppies.
“It would be about $8,600 that we actually need, but we’ve had several generous donations already,” said Zurbrigg.
Zurbrigg said you can donate to the Legion via e-transfer to stratfordlegion008@gmail.com.
He added you would need to fill a question with the answer branch8 and to specify whether the e-transfer goes to either the Remembrance Day Service or Branch 8 Poppy.
Thompson said the Legion wants more businesses to have poppy’s available in their stores.
