“It was the realization of a vision – two years in the making,” says the Reverend Rob Towler, rector of St. John’s in Port Dalhousie.
The parish is located directly across from the village cenotaph. Every year, on the Sunday before Remembrance Day, residents gather with Royal Canadian Legion Branch 350 to remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country.
Having already adjusted the service to include the tolling of the church bell as the names of recently deceased veterans were read, Towler proposed a new visual memorial by the church: A Poppy Cascade. A floral tribute of poppies flowing in remembrance from the church bell tower down into the street.
It was an immense task, and he was blessed with the leadership of Frances and Bill Couldridge who carried the weight of making this vision a reality.
- Knitters and crocheters from the parish and wider community were enlisted to make the woolen poppies.
- A second group of people was gathered to attach the poppies (over 4,000) to a massive deer net and wireframe for hanging.
- A third team was commissioned to help with the actual installation (featuring a SkyJack vehicle donated by Pete’s Siding)
Frances Couldridge met with a local school to discuss the Cascade project and how they might get involved. She then spoke with representatives of the Legion regarding their support and traveled to Niagara on the Lake where she learned the “inside story” of their Poppy Cascade, as well as valuable tips on installation.
On November 1, 2024, the Cascade was placed. Local residents stopped their cars and posed for pictures even as the installation was taking place.
Moving west across the diocese, the Ancaster parish of the same name had embarked on their own poppy display for the second year in a row.
St. John’s in Ancaster had displayed their 5,000 hand-made poppies across their fences, up the railings and light posts. These poppies were created by volunteers from the parish and from volunteers from the UK. Babs Dawson led a team of 12 to 15 people who met on a weekly basis to bring together this year’s display which consisted of 2,000 more poppies than they had last year!
In the days following many people have remarked on these beautiful tributes. The internet was flooded with photos. St. John’s Ancaster was featured in an article for the Hamilton Spectator and both parishes were featured on CHCH TV.
A beautiful tribute – Lest We Forget.
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