A sunny Sunday morning tempted me to downtown Ottawa to pay my respects at the National War Memorial. Skirting fleets of fire and police vehicles to the west, the tomb of the unknown soldier was laden with poppies. People approached in a trickle, respectfully, to add their tribute.
A few steps down Elgin Street the National Aboriginal Veterans Memorial retained four wreaths, many at the National War Memorial had been removed, and a few poppies.
I was reminded of the group exercizes where everyone is given a few sticky coloured paper dots and you are asked to add yours to various action item options. I visited other nearby memorials.
In Confederation park no poppies had been left on the South African War Memorial. Nearby, three poppies and two carnations graced the plaque to Canadian airmen who lost their lives over Poland in WW2.
Tucked away where it’s easy to overlook, the memorial to the over five hundred Canadians killed between 1950 and 1953 in Korea attracted eight poppies.
Last, not least, I wandered over to the Cartier Square Drill Hall and the nearby statue to John Rogers and William Osgood(e) of the Ottawa Company of Sharpshooters, who died in 1885 as part of the Northwest Field Force. It attracted 16 poppies.
Location, location, location.
Your poppy tour of Ottawa was most intriguing, and telling.
We traveled from Minnesota to Ottawa in November 2018 to attend the Remembrance Ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. It was estimated that nearlt 1 million people came downtown that day. By late afternoon the Tomb of the Unknown was buried in poppies several inches deep. It was incredibly moving.