When residents of the Three Robins seniors living community walk into their building, they're greeted with a pillar and wall covered in hundreds of crocheted poppies.
Five women living in the downtown Red Deer building have been crocheting these poppies for a number of months as a way to commemorate Remembrance Day this year. Building residents Donna Pride and Andrea Barker saw St. Luke’s Anglican Church covered in a tarp featuring thousands of poppies and were inspired to do something to honour veterans.
"I went online, found a poppy pattern, gathered a few ladies that crocheted together and here we are," said Pride.
Pride and fellow residents Emily Hillis, Georgie Jackson, Alice Shrader and Bea Walker ended up croching 750 poppies.
"We worked off and on for a few months — we started last summer. We would work on our own and we'd work together too. It's been fun," Pride said.
For Pride, it took her about 20 minutes to finish crocheting each poppy. The time taken to complete a poppy would vary from person to person, she noted.
"It's been a very good project for us and very rewarding," she said.
"When I look at the poppies I feel wonderful. It's been really worthwhile. When I think about Remembrance Day, I think about how we're here and we're safe thanks to all the veterans who fought for us."
Barker said she felt emotional seeing the project complete, with hundreds of poppies hanging on the walls of the building's lobby. The project was a true community effort within Three Robins, she added.
Red Deerians will be able to honour veterans on Remembrance Day as the Red Deer Legion, Branch No. 35, will hold a ceremony at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11 at Servus Arena.
Other Central Alberta Remembrance Day ceremonies include:
- Blackfalds: Abbey Centre Field House (4500 Womacks Rd.) at 10:45 a.m.
- Carstairs: Hugh Sutherland School (2000 AB-581) at 10:30 a.m.
- Delburne: Delburne Village Hall (2034 21 Ave.) at 10:15 a.m.
- Innisfail: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 104 (5108 49 Ave.) at 10 a.m.
- Lacombe: Lacombe Memorial Centre (5214 50 Ave.) at 10:30 a.m.
- Rimbey: Peter Lougheed Community Centre (5109 54 St.) at 10:15 a.m.
- Sundre: Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 223 (135 6 St. SE) at 10:30 a.m.
- Three Hills: Bethel Evangelical Missionary Church (123 4th Ave. E) at 10:15 a.m.
