"Where the Poppies Grow: The Lakehead at War"

This a a trailer for the 30 minute docudrama "Where The Poppies Grow" This project is both a commemoration of the sacrifices of the First World War and the documentation of the historical contributions of Thunder Bay and region in the conflict. The First World War (1914-1918) had a significant impact on the communities of Port Arthur and Fort William (now Thunder Bay). Thousands of men and women from the region served in the armed forces during that conflict. Where the Poppies Grow is a film project that links both the wartime experiences of the former cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, and events following the conflict. It is a story that follows the experiences of local soldiers and those on the home front during the war and intertwines with Flanders Field, Belgium with Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, Canadian doctor and poet. Of particular importance is the place in history Thunder Bay plays in the designation of the poppy as an international symbol of remembrance.

When the Great War ended In November 1918, the people of the Lakehead could take pride in the contributions they had made. Over 6,200 people enlisted either as volunteers or conscripts. At home, the community supported the war by raising money to assist soldiers’ wives, children, and other dependents. There were also campaigns to help finance the purchase of military equipment and to send personal items to the soldiers overseas. Bandages were rolled, shirts and underwear were sewn, and socks, sweaters, toques, and scarves were knitted by women for loved ones. By the end of the conflict, approximately 800 men and women from the Lakehead were killed overseas or died of illness due to their war service. Thousands more were wounded in body and mind. Where the Poppies Grow is a docu-drama that looks at the sacrifices made by people from the Lakehead to secure victory in the war.

It was in Flanders Field that McCrae noticed how the blood-red poppies sprang up from the scorched fields of Flanders as though nature herself bled for the sacrifices of the many that had died there. Drawing upon the symbolism of the flower, he penned his now famous ode to the deceased in 1915. In the process, Lieutenant Colonel McCrae immortalized the poppy and its symbolism in his poem. It seemed a natural fit that this symbol should be established as a permanent memorial to the fallen. Although the custom of wearing and emblem that includes the poppy is often traced to Miss Moina Michael, an American, who advocated the flower as part of a “Victory” symbol in 1918, she did so in the wake of Madame Anne E. Guérin, a French woman who was a tireless fundraiser for French children suffering in the war-torn areas of her country. Madame Guérin, for whom the war began in 1914, did more than anyone else to encourage groups and organizations to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance, not victory, and as a means of raising funds for those affected by the war. Madame Guérin lectured about the war and its devastation throughout the United States and in other allied countries during and after the war. The mixed results of her efforts in the United States caused her to focus on the Empire countries, (later the Commonwealth), where she was able to obtain support for the idea of using the symbol of the poppy as a means of both raising funds and remembering the fallen.
In 1921, Madame Guérin went to England where she presented the poppy idea to officials of the British Legion who recognized the value of it. She visited Canada later that year, with Port Arthur, Ontario as her first stop. At the same time the Great War Veterans Association (GWVA), a forerunner of the Royal Canadian Legion, was hosting a national convention at the Prince Arthur Hotel in July 1921. At the meeting she gave an account of her activities and presented her idea of the remembrance poppy to the assembled veterans. The next day the GWVA, now calling her “The Poppy Lady of France,” readily approved the idea of the poppy as an emblem and passed a resolution that it be worn on the anniversary of Armistice Day in memory of fallen comrades. The GWVA executive ratified this decision on 6 July. On 11 November 1921 poppies were made by the women and children of France and distributed in Canada for the first time under the sponsorship of the GWVA. Within a year, all Legion branches across the Canada wore the poppy as a means of remembrance, a practice that continues to this day.

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