Ceremony at Chestermere poppy crosswalk to go ahead Sunday
A ceremony paying tribute to Canada's veterans ahead of Remembrance Day will go ahead on Sunday in Chestermere.
The event will take place at Anniversary Park, the home of the city's cenotaph, and was organized by a local teenager.
Crews painted poppies on a crosswalk, but there was push back – from the national office of the Royal Canadian Legion.
A spokesperson says crosswalks are meant for people to walk and drive on, and it is disrespectful to do that to a poppy.
"The Legion deeply appreciates efforts like these, made by community members wanting to help remember Our Fallen. Unfortunately this particular display would have unintentionally resulted in individuals walking on the Poppy image, which is deemed disrespectful. The Poppy of Remembrance is a sacred symbol in Canada, representing actual individuals who have paid the ultimate sacrifice."
The Legion says it was entrusted with the image by the federal government to ensure it "is safeguarded and used respectfully."
Guidelines for poppy usage can be found on the organization's website.
Residents and even some veterans said despite that, they were impressed by the tribute.
"I've had friends die, relatives have died in the fields of Afghanistan, family in World War Two die," said Canadian veteran Andy Sinclair.
"And how can they say this being defaced when brothers and sisters gave blood for that, for people to walk in this I see no problem whatsoever because when they look down and go, 'Oh, a poppy' and just think of a family member a friend something you know that means a lot to veterans and still serving members."
The City of Chestermere issued a statement on Friday, saying they have been working on the project for more than a year.
"The City is proud to support this local community initiative that was created to offer our community a chance to collectively show their respect and support for our veterans," it read.
"On Friday, the city received a concern from the national office of the Royal Canadian Legion about the use of the poppy image. At this time, the Legion has not requested that the city paint over the crosswalk. The city is seeking to have further discussions with the Legion to better understand their concerns.
"The City of Chestermere always seeks to undertake initiatives with the greatest respect for veterans and their families and we look forward to working with the family, the Legion, the veterans association, and our local community to honour our veterans."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.