The Royal Canadian Legion’s Brighton Branch 100 is once again encouraging residents to wear a poppy and support local veterans through its annual Poppy Campaign.
The 2026 campaign officially began Oct. 24 and runs until Remembrance Day on Nov. 11. Poppies are being distributed throughout the community, with donations supporting veterans and their families.
The campaign is particularly significant for Brighton’s Legion branch, which is marking its 100th anniversary in 2026.
Pam Little is serving as the branch’s Poppy Chair for the 2026-27 term. She says that, once again, the partnership between the RCL and the Cadets means young people are out and about distributing poppies, as they do every year.
While Brighton-specific fundraising totals from previous campaigns have not been publicly released, the national campaign continues to generate significant support. The Royal Canadian Legion says close to $20 million is donated to its Poppy Trust Fund annually, with locally collected funds remaining in the communities where they are raised.
Little says that while the campaign benefits from many long-time volunteers who are invaluable to the program, attracting new people to help remains a challenge.
Little was excited to recently learn that members of the Brighton Vikings hockey team will be hitting the streets to distribute poppies. She says it’s great to have a winning team helping out with an equally winning program.
In 2025, the Legion’s national Pay Tribute program, featuring tap-enabled donation boxes supported by RBC, generated more than $855,000, setting a record. More than 50,000 poppies were also distributed through the Legion’s online partnership with Amazon Canada.
Little adds that volunteer shifts this year are just one hour long and take place indoors. Volunteers are even provided with a chair if they so desire!
Money collected through Brighton’s campaign helps the Legion provide assistance to local veterans and their families, including emergency support and other essential services.
The Legion is reminding residents that wearing a poppy is a simple but meaningful way to recognize the sacrifices made by Canada’s veterans and remember those who served.
(Written By: Richard Evans)
